Foams are relevant in many food products and - production processes. During the bottling of beverages, foam can severely impair the process as overflowing foam causes underfilled bottles and poses a high contamination risk. There is a very limited number of foam influencing additives that are allowed to be used in food products. Consequently, the filling speed is limited by the foaming properties of the beverage. Being able to monitor and model the foaming behavior would enable the manufacturers to accurately locate the process window of the fastest filling without foaming for each product. The foaming mechanics of beverages depend on many factors that are not yet enough understood to model them based on the laws of fluid mechanics. However, data-driven approaches can still perform well without resolving all of the underlying phenomena.  

Several filling experiments with different juices were executed to improve the understanding of the influence of flow and surface properties on the foaming behavior. The foam was evaluated using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect visible foam regions in video recordings of the experiments. The use of image data has the advantage, that its acquisition is noninvasive and no supplementary sensor hardware with direct product contact has to be installed into the process. The CNN was able to detect image regions containing foam regardless of the lighting and noise in the image, for different juice colors, and with errors of less than 2 mm. Based on the product and process parameters, the foaming behavior during the filling process was modeled with a recurrent neural network (RNN). The RNN was able to predict the foam height evolution with respect to filling speed, viscosity, surface tension, and density with an error of 3.5 mm. Both models are easily transferable to new use cases by retraining the networks.

Microalgae are primary sources of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs), which are essential for the regulation of human biological functions and disease prevention. The microalgal cell wall can limit the bioaccessibility of protein and lipid of dried Chlorella spp. biomasses currently available on the market. Treatments aimed at partially disrupting the cell wall can lead to an increased bioaccessibility of nutrients. Among these, enzymatic degradation has major advantages over mechanical treatments, such as low energy requirements and mild processing conditions. Moreover, it does not lead to temperature stress or complete disruption, preserving the quality and stability of ω3-PUFAs.

In this study, we evaluated the lipid and protein bioaccessibility from Chlorella spp. biomasses and its enhancement by enzymatic degradation of the cell wall. To perform a targeted enzymatic approach, we studied the cell morphology and cell wall monosaccharides composition. 

Cell wall of C. vulgaris was isolated, hydrolysed, and the constituent monosaccharides analysed by High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD), resulting in a diverse composition: 45% galactose, 37% rhamnose and 4% glucosamine. Based on such characterization, we tested several cell wall degrading enzymes for their capacity of releasing nutrients from C. vulgaris biomass. A treatment with selected enzymes (chitinase and lysozyme) was performed to increase lipid and protein bioaccessibility. The treatment enhanced the bioaccessibility from 19% and 43% to 32% and 53% for lipid and protein, respectively. In addition, the microalgal ω3-PUFAs in enzymatically treated cells showed a remarkable oxidative stability over three months of accelerated shelf-life, which was comparable to the untreated control. 

In conclusion, understanding of the microalgae cell wall helps develop a more efficient and targeted biorefinery approach. We showed that enzymatic degradation of the microalgae cell wall is a promising technique to improve the nutritional value of microalgae biomass.

With a market volume of 23-BN US-$ (2018) and anticipated yearly growth rates of up to 10%, food biotechnology poses an important, ever-growing branch within the food industry. In this context, microbial expression systems bear great potentials for sustainable and efficient production of functional compounds. However, high recovery yields often rely on cell disruption, which is usually accompanied by complex and expensive purification processes.

Therefore, pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment was investigated as a novel tool for cell disintegration and selective protein release from bacteria. For this purpose, E. coli BL21(DE3) was cultivated in a 10-L bioreactor, to a cell dry weight of 41.5 g/L. Recombinant protein A (~50 kDa) was chosen as a functional model compound. The cell suspension was PEF-treated, using a specific self-designed continuous system (1.5 L/h, 3 µs pulses, 25.6-44.0 kV/cm, 50-1000 Hz, 10.3-241.9 kJ/kg), and influence of the treatment on product and contaminant release, as well as viability was assessed.

Results showed a maximum product yield of 89%, with increasing energy input. Inactivation of bacterial cells also gradually increased, with a maximum of 0.9log₁₀ at 241.9 kJ/kg. Based on the DoE, optimum conditions (protein release ≥75%; cell death ≤3%) among the investigated parameter range were determined to be electric field strengths ≤28 kV/cm, and frequencies ≥825 Hz. Moreover, samples showed distinctly higher purity of the target protein, compared to conventional homogenization.

PEF treatment and the associated electroporation were shown to be an innovative alternative to cell disintegration technologies commonly used in downstream processing. Moreover, due to the ability to preserve viability, PEF may potentially be implemented for continuous bioprocesses with intermediate removal of intracellular products. Therefore, this process opens a wide field of potential applications reaching from production of food-grade proteins and enzymes to biotechnological and pharmaceutical compounds.

Extrusion processing has a high potential to improve the nutritional functionality of dietary fibres by converting insoluble to soluble fibres. Soluble fibres are considered to be the most effective fibre fraction for human health as they are attributed a high water binding capacity, they increase physiological viscosity and are highly fermentable by intestinal microbiota. We evaluated the effects of extrusion processing on the physiochemical and functional properties of lupin kernel fibre, an underutilized by-product of lupin protein isolation. Lupin kernels are rich in insoluble dietary fibre, mostly comprising pectin-like structures. Lupin fibre was extruded at various temperatures, feed moistures and screw speeds. The physiochemical properties were investigated focusing on changes in fibre composition, water and oil binding capacities. To evaluate fibre functionality, extrudates were digested in-vitro in simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion environments. The digesta were characterised with emphasis on rheological properties and interactions with bile acids. We revealed that after extrusion processing the soluble fraction of lupin fibre was increased from 1.9 g/100 g DM to up to 37.7 g/100 g DM. Concurrently, water binding was increased by up to 95% and oil binding was significantly decreased. Physiological viscosity was increased for most extrudates. Accordingly, diffusion of bile acids was significantly decelerated, which may improve cholesterol lowering properties. Moisture content, followed by barrel temperature was identified as the most relevant extrusion parameters to modify functionality. Our results indicate that extrusion processing caused solubilisation of pectic polymers, which exhibit high hydration properties and thus increase the physiological viscosity. Viscous fibres are described to decelerate glucose absorption rates, and may therefore decrease the postprandial insulin secretion. Fermentation of soluble fibre is further associated with favourable alterations of the gut microbiome. These findings suggest that extrusion could be a practical technology to enhance health benefits of lupin kernel fibre.

There has been a recent upsurge in research efforts in aqueous lubrication since the ability to create super-lubricious water-based lubricant is important for various biological and technological applications. The aim of this research was to design a novel bio-lubricant that provides effective lubrication similar to or exceeding that of real human saliva. Various methods were used to realize this aim including structural characterization with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta-potential measurements, and evaluation of tribological, rheological and adsorption properties with different materials and compositional ratios. A novel bio-lubricant was patented, which was fabricated by reinforcing a fluid-like hydrogel with  microgels. This aqueous lubricant demonstrates a synergistic interaction offering super-lubricity in comparison to any of the pure components alone. This two-component lubricant composed of microgels dispersed in hydrogels, which is able to generate excellent lubricity while lubricate better than real human saliva in different oral contact mimicking conditions (i.e. hard, smooth, hydrophobic as well as soft, textured hydrophilic silicone surface) at certain component ratios, allowing friction reduction by combining the benefits of both viscosity and hydration lubrication, latter supported by adsorption onto the surface. The superlubricity mediated by synergistic interactions of microgel-reinforced hydrogel offers a unique prospective towards the fabrication of biocompatible aqueous lubricants for dry mouth syndrome.

Ugandan children are vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency (VAD), iron deficiency (ID) and zinc deficiency (ZnD) because they are fed on complementary foods (CFs) low in vitamin A, iron and zinc. Caregivers are the gatekeepers of CFs. This study developed a novel provitamin A carotenoid (PVAC), iron and zinc rich common bean pumpkin blend (BPB) complementary food (CF) from locally available pumpkin and common bean in Uganda and determined its  acceptance among child caregivers. The  pumpkin blend (PB) was used as a control. 

Seventy caregivers participated in the study. The sensory attributes (taste, colour, aroma, texture and general acceptability) of BPB and PB were rated using a five-point facial hedonic scale (1 = very bad, 2 = bad, 3 = neutral, 4 = good, 5 = very good). Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to assess the perceptions of caregivers about the BPB. The chi square test was used to detect the proportion difference for each sensory attribute between BPB and PB, whilst FGD data were analysed by thematic analysis. 

A proportion of 64% to 96% of the caregivers rated both BPB and PB as acceptable (good to very good) for all the sensory attributes. There was no significant difference in caregiver acceptability for all attributes between BPB and PB (p > 0.05). Caregivers had positive perceptions about the taste, texture, aroma and colour of the BPB. Caregivers were keen to know the specific varieties of common bean and pumpkin used to formulate the PVAC, iron and zinc rich BPB.

In conclusion, BPB was acceptable to caregivers, and they were interested to know how to prepare and use it as a CF.

Due to a multiplication of food scandals for many years, consumers expect more natural products and in particular with less or without additives (clean label). In that way manufacturers have to develop several strategies in order to develop new products by keeping the same properties as the initial one containing additives. 

Mono and diglycerides of fatty acids are commonly used in the manufacture of sponge cakes due to their ability to form inclusion complexes with amylose that prevent staling. In European Union, these compounds, derived from triglycerides are considered as food additives and have to be mentioned on the ingredient list with an E number (E 471).  

The main goal of our study was to develop a strategy starting from rapeseed oil in order to generate selectively and in situ mono, diglycerides and fatty acids. Thanks to a control of external parameters of this process, different oils were obtained and ratio between reaction products were modulated. Molecular compositions were investigated and characterized by Gas Chromatography and ¹H NMR. This latter technique is an additional and a very suitable method to qualify and identify selectively the monoglycerides isomers. 

Modified oils have been directly used as food ingredient in the manufacture of sponge cakes. The structure and the softness properties of the products have been characterized during 6 months. The softness is (i) largely improved by using a mixture of initial rapeseed oil and modified oil and (ii) mainly governed by their respective ratio. 

The present review summarizes on protein digestibility of insect based products. From nutritional, point of view, the evaluation of an insect protein quality is not only by its amino acid composition, but also by protein digestibility. In recent years, numerous literatures on protein digestibility of edible insects has been reported. The reported protein digestibility varies 18% to 96% depending on raw material type, sample pretreatment processing, enzyme used, in vivo/in vitro method, digestibility quantification method, digestion duration, pH, and other physiological parameters. The big gap between the limits may be due to almost of all the previous studies employed the highly variable in vitro protein digestibility of insect product. This, because in vitro methods are chosen as more rapid, less expensive, less labour intensive with no ethical restrictions that use the most common suitable quantification methods soluble nitrogen trichloroacetic acid or o-phthadialdehyde.  Comparatively, the in vivo methods especially true ilea protein digestibility are the most accurate developed quantification method over in vitro. Thus, more research work on in vivo protein digestibility of insect based products is needed to increase potential of insects as rich, viable and sustainable source of edible proteins for future food and feed. Furthermore, to initiates more comparative studies to evaluate and validate in vitro digestibility with in vivo data to minimize variation.

Microalgae represent a promising alternative source of valuable nutrients, natural additives and nutraceuticals. Next to high contents of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides and pigments, cultivation can be realised on non-fertile land without replacement of other food crops. Nevertheless, due to high microalgal diversity and variations of cell structures, release of valuable compounds from their intracellular location represents a challenging task. Conventional down stream processing is characterised by energy consuming dehydration or disruption procedures and usage of organic solvents holding risks of environmental pollution. Therefore, progression of greener (ecofriendly and energy-efficient) extraction technologies, such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), studied within this work, is needed.

The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of PEF technology for green extraction of microalgal proteins, pigments and lipids from fresh Chlorella sorokiniana. Efficiencies of PEF treatment and different solvents were compared to untreated and totally disrupted biomass. Finally, a multistage biorefinery concept was designed based on individual extraction steps. Additionallly, initial pilot scale trials on protein extractability of resuspended Arthrospira platensis were conducted.

PEF treatment of microalgal suspensions showed highest impact on the release of watersoluble proteins. Next to C. sorokiniana where increased yields of at least 8 % of the total watersoluble protein were observed, A. platensis revealed enhanced extraction and higher purities of phycocyanin. However, additional release of algal proteins after pH adjustment was not enhanced by the application of PEF, which might be due to the location of most of the remaining structural proteins within the cell wall. Further extraction attempts on C. sorokiniana pigments and lipids did also not show increased extractability after PEF treatment, which underlined the statement of PEF representing a rather ineffective disruption method for microalgae holding rigid cell walls. Nevertheless, cell wall degradation at increased pH might facilitate susequent lipid release within a multistage extraction process.

Recently the combination of oral tribology and adsorption techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) has been recognised to provide advanced insights into key lubrication properties of proteins. The aim of this study was to compare the lubrication properties of alternative proteins with whey protein isolate (WPI) as a control using apparent viscosity, soft tribology QCM-D with hydrophobically-modified sensors, particle size and ζ-potential. Pea, potato, lupine and insect protein isolate (PPI, PoPI, LPI, IPI respectively) were chosen as alternative proteins and soluble protein fractions were assessed at various protein concentrations (0.1-10 wt%). Oral tribological measurements were studied at 37 ^oC using glass ball-on-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) contact surface using 2 N normal load. Results showed that all proteins were negatively-charged at neutral pH (ζ-potential from -19 to -23 mV) showing various degrees of aggregation (hydrodynamic diameters of 23-200 nm). The boundary friction coefficient (μ) of proteins at 5 wt% concentration followed the trend as μPPI> μLPI> μIPI> μPoPI> μWPI, highlighting excellent lubrication performance of PoPI and IPC films. However, at higher protein concentrations (10%), the μ values of LPI, PoPI and IPI increase (+15-50%) visa-versa to WPI behaviour (-15%). QCM-D results reveal rigid film formation from PoPI and WPI in contrast to a more viscoelastic film for PPI. PPI also had the highest hydrated mass (11.0 mg m^-2) as compared to WPI (8.0 mg m^-2) with lower values for other proteins (5.0-5.4 mg m^-2). These novel insights show early promises for formulation design with alternative proteins in future with possibility of predicting lubrication-related mouthfeel perception.

Currently, consumers are more aware of the relationship between diet and health and are looking for healthier products such as probiotic foods. The selection of adequate food matrices as carriers of probiotics is an essential factor to ensure the survival of probiotics to reach the large intestine. Thus, the use of pseudocereals as matrices for fermentation could have a great potential. The objective of this work is to evaluate the viability of the probiotics Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium longum using a red quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, L.) beverage matrix at different fermentation times (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours) and during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The antioxidant properties, total polyphenols concentration, and other physicochemical parameters (organic acids, sugars, pH, acidity, total soluble solid content, colour) were measured.  The results showed that microbial viability was strongly influenced by the fermentation time, reaching the recommended levels to exert probiotic effects in both beverages (10⁶–10⁸ CFU/mL) after 6 hours of fermentation with Bifidobacterium longum and with Lactobacillus plantarum. However, for longer fermentation periods, the best microbial viability was for Bifidobacterium longum. Both microorganisms also showed resistance to some antibiotics, especially by Bifidobacterium longum from 6 hours of fermentation. The microbial viability after 3 hours of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was very high (approximately 6 Log CFU/mL). The concentration of total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity by ABTS increased after 1 hour of in vitro intestinal digestion. Therefore, the red quinoa beverage matrix could be a good carrier to reach a high microbial concentration with short fermentation times, and to maintain the viability of both microorganisms at high levels after in vitro digestion, so that they could exert their beneficial effects in the gut. These beverages also offer an alternative for population who is allergic to milk proteins, strict vegetarian, lactose intolerant, or for celiacs.

This study focuses on the relationship between food safety knowledge and purchase attitude, and their influence on kitchen practices among Romanian consumers. The sample consisted of 985 consumers and the data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Dirty hands was recognized as being a vehicle for pathogens to reach our kitchen by most of the consumers (83.7%), followed up by pets (76.1%), and insects (73.2%). The most important aspects when buying food products were food quality (weighted mean 6.30), taste (weighted mean 6.36), and safety (weighted mean 6.28), while the least important aspect proved to be the price (weighted mean 5.79). Washing hands with warm water and soap (6.0.3) and washing hands with warm water, soap, and disinfectant (5.92) were seen by consumers as the adequate hand cleaning procedures to prevent the risk of foodborne diseases. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant positive correlation between food safety knowledge and purchase attitude (0.36; p < 0.001). Knowledge and purchase attitude explained 30% of the Romanians kitchen practices and also depicted significant positive effects on practices (0.17, p < 0.001; 0.47, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that higher levels of food safety knowledge with an improved attitude towards food purchase could lead consumers to perform proper food safety kitchen practices, thus reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses. 

Management and optimization of the food supply chain could play an important role to assure food product safety and quality, especially in the case of perishable food products such as fresh fish. Temperature monitoring coupled with validated shelf life predictive models can be used to evaluate food products cold chain and estimate quality and remaining shelf-life at different stages up to consumers’ end. On the other hand predictive modelling embedded in a blockchain system could be used to establish a modern quality assurance system. The objective of the current work is to field test the possibility of coupling predictive shelf life models with temperature data in order to estimate the remaining shelf life of fresh aquaculture at any stage of the cold chain and blockchain in real time the results and data with all involved stakeholders. RF temperature dataloggers were attached on packaged gutted gilthead seabream samples which entered the routine cold chain including all stages from harvesting to consumer handling. Recorded temperature combined with predictive microbiological models were used to estimate remaining shelf-life (RSL). Conducted microbiological analysis confirmed the validity of estimated RSL values. Mean temperature ranged within 2.2 and 5 °C while some sharp and short temperature fluctuations were observed. RSL at the time corresponding to consumption ranged between 30 and 2%. All data was shared with stakeholders (producer, retailer) in the context of blockchain-based data sharing tools. The specific work is considered to be one of the first exploring the potential of using blockchain technology to monitor temperature and evaluate quality (in terms of remaining shelf life) in the supply chain of fresh aquaculture fish products. Based on the overall results the use of blockchain in monitoring and communicating realtime data combined with predictive modelling allows an effective cold chain management.

Nowadays, vitamin D (VD) deficiency is a global problem that affects a large number of people.This deficiency can cause serious impact on human health not only affecting bone mineral density but also becoming the reason for cardiovascular disorders, infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancers.Take account the scarcity of VD in natural products, the food fortification appear as a viable strategy to overcome this deficiency.On the other hand, the VD is easily degraded when exposed to light, air or heat, and also exhibits poor water solubility and oral bioavailability.The nanoencapsulation using nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) can be a good option to protect VD due to their exceptional features as a delivery system for lipophilic compounds.Beside that, the use of rhamnolipids as a natural surfactant is a promising approach for these type of systems.Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop and characterise vitamin D3 (VD3)-loaded NLCs using rhamnolipids as the surfactant. NLCs with VD3 (NLCs+VD3) were produced by melt-emulsification using ultra-homogenisation followed by ultrasonication.For production, medium-chain-triglyceride (MCT), glycerol monostearate (GM) and VD3 were used as the lipid phase and an aqueous solution of rhamnolipids was used as the aqueous phase.NLCs+VD3 were evaluated in terms of size distribution, polydispersity, morphology and thermal analysis.Also, the stability over time in different conditions, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and toxicity in Caco-2 cells were assessed. NLCs+VD3 presented sizes and polydispersity values between 92–108nm and 0.22–0.26, respectively.TEM images confirmed the size and the spherical morphology of the NLCs and the thermal analysis showed that the ratio of MCT:GM influence the melting, crystallisation and enthalpy.The formulations were more stable at 4ºC and the best formulation was stable during 30days.EE reach up to 80% and all of the 3 formulations tested did not show toxicity after 48h using concentrations 0.25 and 0.1mg/mL of NLCs.

Strawberries are rich in anthocyanins, often associated with health benefits. However, they readily degrade during processing and storage, and anthocyanin-matrix-interactions might affect their stability and bioaccessibility. 

Our study investigated how anthocyanins in strawberry puree were affected by preservation technologies and addition of relatively protein-rich kale juice. Strawberry-kale-mix (M) was compared to strawberry-water-mix (S) (1:2 wt; pH 4), untreated and treated thermally (72°C, 1 min), by pulsed electric fields (PEF) (120 kJ/kg, 12 kV/cm) and high pressure (HPP) (600 MPa, 1 min). Systems were evaluated for anthocyanin stability and bioaccessibility after in-vitro digestion during storage (42 days, 4°C). 

Six different strawberry anthocyanins were detected and their degradation during storage followed 1^st-order-kinetics. The degradation rate constant k varied depending on the juice system, preservation technology and anthocyanin structure. Generally,  k increased for M compared to S. The untreated sample showed the highest k, followed by HPP, PEF and then thermal. Both observations likely resulted from high enzyme activity (peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase) measured in M and untreated samples. 

Bioaccessibility was determined as a ratio of bioaccessible anthocyanins after gastric and intestinal digestion compared to the initial bioaccessible fraction. Anthocyanin bioaccessibility after gastric digestion was increased (relative values >1) for pelargonidin-3O-glucoside, cyanidin-3O-glucoside and pelargonidin-3O-rutinoside in S, and all anthocyanins in M. Furthermore, relative gastric bioaccessibility of anthocyanins was higher for M compared to S. This indicates an increased release of anthocyanins from the matrix in M, suggesting interactions of anthocyanins with the kale matrix. Additionally, relative gastric bioaccessibility increased during storage, possibly resulting from anthocyanin polymerization during storage, followed by their decomposition during gastric digestion. Anthocyanin bioaccessibility after intestinal digestion was low due to instability at neutral pH regardless of formulation and technology. This research shows evidence that processing and formulation strongly affect stability and gastric bioaccessibility of anthocyanins during storage.

Pleurotus ostreatus is a sustainable food rich in β-glucans, functional compounds recognised for their nutraceutical, health and physicochemical properties. This study was aimed at investigating the use of β-glucan-rich extract from P. ostreatus as emulsifier with antioxidant activity in oil-in-water emulsions. Sunflower oil containing α-tocopherol as an oxidizable target was encapsulated using maltodextrins as wall material dissolved in β-glucan-rich extract. Two emulsions were formulated at both lab scale (100 mL) and pilot scale (1 L of volume) with different oil and emulsifier content (4% and 0.1% in E1; 8% and 0.2% in E2), thus varying maltodextrins percentages in order to have a dry matter content of 40% w/w. The volume moment mean (D4,3) was measured at the time of preparation and after a 2 h rest period by laser light diffraction, in order to check the stability of emulsions over time. At lab scale, the initial D4,3 was 2.3 and 3.1 µm for E1 and E2, respectively; after 2 h, no significant changes occurred. At pilot scale, the initial D4,3 was 2.7 and 3.0 µm for E1 and E2, respectively; these values did not significantly change after 2h, meaning that emulsions were stable over time. These results showed the adequacy between the lab and pilot scale protocols. The pilot scale emulsions were spray dried in parallel with a control emulsion (Ec) made with 4% of oil content and with acacia gum (14.4%) instead of β-glucans as emulsifier, obtaining powders P1, P2 and Pc. Then, the efficacy of β-glucans in oil protection was determined by evaluation of α-tocopherol retention, which was markedly high in P1 (96%) but decreased when β-glucans were not present (65%) or when the amount of oil was doubled (66%). The usage of P. ostreatus β-glucans with inherent bioactivity appears to be a healthy and sustainable alternative to common emulsifiers.

Vitamin D (VD) deficiency exists globally and increases the risk of developing chronic diseases. VD has poor oral bioavailability due to its fat-soluble nature, and is sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. Mixed micelles (MM), comprising bile salts, phospholipids and free fatty acids (FA) have been shown to improve fat-soluble vitamin bioavailability. This study aims to: (i) assess the impact of FA type and phospholipid/salt concentration on MM properties (ii) determine MM and VD₃ stability to standard food processes. VD₃ loaded MM were prepared with varied FAs and salt/phospholipid concentration. VD₃ concentration/MM size were measured before and after (i) shearing (8,000-20,500rpm for 30sec) and homogenisation (600MPa), (ii) heating (63°C for 30min, 72°C for 15sec or 10min, and 90°C for 0.5sec), (iii) light exposure (395nm) for 20min, (iv) storage at 4°C or -20°C for 4 weeks. Increasing FA chain length from C10-C18 significantly (p≤0.05) increased MM size from 3.8±0.1nm to 4.4±0.3nm. Concentrations of l-α-phosphatidylcholine from 1.5–7.5mM and NaCl from 20–100mM were identified as optimum for MM formation. MM were stable to shearing and homogenisation, with no significant change (p>0.05) in size noted. MM samples retained significantly more (p≤0.05) VD₃ than control samples following all heat treatments and under standard pasteurisation conditions MM retained 18% more VD₃. Following light exposure MM retained significantly more (p≤0.05) VD₃ than control samples. MM protected VD₃ from degradation during cold storage at 4°C and -20°C compared to control samples. MM show potential to protect VD from degradation during food processing and from environmental conditions. By pre-forming MM loaded with VD outside the body, there is potential for VD incorporation into both water- and fat-soluble foods and beverages to increase the number of foods containing VD and improve VD absorption.

The Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) methodology has been used increasingly to assess the dynamic sensory perception of food and beverages. In order to develop nutritional beverages for undernourished older adults, understanding dynamic sensory perception is vital. However, TDS remains an underutilised technique in older adult cohorts. Therefore, this study sought to measure the effectiveness of this methodology to investigate the differences in dynamic texture perception between older and younger adults across a range of texturally-modified Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS). The study also considered how ONS liking is impacted by viscosity. Therefore, this study also provides insight into potential factors affecting ONS consumption and adherence. Seventy panellists in two age groups (50:50 18-35 and 65+ years) evaluated four ONS over one 30-minute session. For each ONS, 45ml was consumed over three sips. Panellists evaluated each sip (15ml) over 40 seconds. After the 120-second TDS evaluation, panellists recorded their liking using a 9-point hedonic scale followed by their hunger, fullness, desire-to-eat, and thirst using 100mm visual analogue scales. TDS curves with distinct peaks were generated by both age cohorts. Both cohorts found the two low viscosity ONS ‘Watery’ and the high viscosity ONS ‘Creamy’, ‘Mouthcoating’, and ‘Thick’. This suggests that the older cohort were aware of the textural differences between the ONS. However, age impacted on the behaviour of panellists during the TDS evaluations. The older adults selected less attributes (p≤0.05), made fewer attribute selections (p≤0.01), took longer to select the first attribute (p≤0.05), and for each attribute selection generally (p≤0.01). Results therefore suggest that while the TDS methodology is an appropriate technique to measure the dynamic texture perception of nutritional beverages in both older and younger adult cohorts, the age differences in the use of this technique must be carefully considered in future studies.

Bread is a food characterised by distinguished sensory attractiveness. Therefore, its sensory perception is a key factor affecting the purchase decision. Compared to wheat bread, gluten-free bread is often characterised by lower intensity of desirable roasty flavour due to lack of pyrazines and other contributing volatile compounds. Additional off-flavours can be derived from legume flours, which are nowadays used for its nutritional enrichment. Thus, this study investigated to which extent sourdough, volatile compounds precursors, and enzymes can improve volatile compounds profile and flavour of bread with yellow pea flour (25%, flour basis). Sourdough (20%, dough basis) fermented with Lactobacillus brevis DSM 20054, arginine, proline, fructose (0.1%, 0.1%, 1%, flour basis, respectively), and protease (0.25%, protein basis) were used as potential improvers, separately and/or in a combination. Volatile compounds of bread (62 compounds) were analysed by HS-SPME/GC-MS method, while the flavour characteristics were determined by descriptive (21 attributes) and hedonic sensory analysis. The flavour acceptability of bread with no improvers was graded as ‘neither like nor dislike’. Added improvers decreased the intensity of pea and dusty flavour of bread, as well as pea aftertaste, which all negatively correlated with its acceptability. Pea flavour strongly positively correlated with the concentration of 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, hexanal, and 2-heptanone. Bread with sourdough added alone or in combination with other improvers had increased overall concentration of volatile compounds, intensity of sour taste, sour and roasty flavour. The highest degree of liking (‘moderately like’) had bread with 20% sourdough, arginine, proline, fructose, and protease addition. Mentioned bread also had the highest level of most pyrazines, furans, pyrroles, as well as the highest intensity of desirable roasty and fresh bread flavour. Examined improvers successfully enhanced bread flavour and the data obtained in this study is a valuable contribution to all efforts to improve gluten-free bread sensory properties.

The market of gluten-free (GF) products has steadily been increasing in last few years. Due to the technological importance of the gluten, the GF food production is still a challenge for the industry. GF bread is usually produced using GF flours, often characterized by low concentration of proteins, fibers and minerals, and abundance of carbohydrates. Moreover, large quantities of fat, sugars, structuring agents and flavor enhancers are added GF formulations to make textural and sensorial characteristics comparable to conventional products, leading to nutritional and caloric intake imbalances. The selected EPS-producing strain Weissella cibaria P9 was used to prepare a sourdough “clean label” GF bread. The fortification with pseudo-cereal and legume flours was used to balance the nutritional deficiency (mainly proteins) of a commonly used mixture of maize and rice flour (ratio 1:1).  Moreover, flours naturally rich in free sugars were included in sourdough formulation (from 5 to 20%) to promote the EPS synthesis by W. cibaria P9. EPS have largely been reported as suitable tool to improve the texture and extend the shelf-life of GF bread. A two-step protocol was used for bread-making, the GF sourdough was fermented for 24 h at 30° C and included as ingredient in the bread dough (30% of the final dough). Natural hydrocolloids-containing flours (psyllium, flaxseed, chia) were also included in bread formula as structuring agents. The baker’s yeast (2%, wt/wt) was used for the leavening (2 h at 30° C). Overall, the novel bread was characterized by high protein content (8.9% of dry matter) and in-vitro protein digestibility (76.9%), low sugar (1.0% of dry matter) and fat (3.1 % of dry matter) contents and in-vitro predicted glycemic index (85). The optimal technological and nutritional features and peculiar sensory profile highlight the suitability of the optimized protocol to produce “clean label” GF bread.

Introduction. Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidants such as phenolic compounds (PC), whose consumption has been associated with protective effects against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. PC are stored in vacuoles or bound to dietary fiber, which prevent their release during digestion and limit their bioaccessibility. Application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) can modify cell membrane permeability, thus enhancing their extraction and favoring PC bioaccessibility. Objective. The main aim was to assess the effect of PEF on the PC content of carrots and their bioaccessibility. Methodology. Carrots were placed inside a PEF treatment chamber filled with water where 5 pulses of 3.5 kV/cm were applied. Carrots were then stored for 24h at 4ºC and submitted to in vitro digestion. PC were extracted from both digesta and undigested carrots and determined by UPLC-MS/MS. Results. Carrots phenolic content and bioaccessibility were affected by PEF. The content of some compounds clearly increased, e.g. coumaric acid (163.21%) and ferulic acid (116%), probably caused by a better extraction due to membrane breakdown. Conversely, caffeic acid derivatives decreased (18.1%-72.3%), which may be associated to greater contact with oxidative enzymes. The bioaccessiblity of such derivatives dramatically decreased by up to 51.58% whereas it increased for caffeoylshikimic (68.91%) or isoferulic acids (62.23%). Total PC bioaccessibility in PEF-treated carrots was greater (20.79%) than that in untreated carrots (13.55%). PC bioaccessibility is highly influenced by chemical structure and interactions during digestion. In addition, PEF cause structural changes that may improve bioaccessibility by allowing easy access to digestive enzymes. Nevertheless, other PC may diminish their absorption when entrapped by other compounds or degraded by acidic pH. Conclusion. PEF can be applied to increase the bioaccessibility of some PC in carrots. Future research focused on the relationship between processing and structure is needed to achieve higher bioaccessibility rates in carrot-derived products.

Today, the average life expectancy in industrialized countries is constantly increasing, and therewith also the share of population being affected by age related diseases like diabetes, cancer or especially digestion problems causing malabsorption. This brings growing attention to balanced nutrition as one way of disease prevention and to individual food components with health-promoting effects like dietary fiber (DF) and unsaturated fats. Therefore, in this study, emulsions containing plant fibers (1 % w/w) and rapeseed oil (10 % w/w) as a model for common foods (e.g. spreads, sauces) are investigated regarding their physicochemical properties and their influence on in-vitro digestion. 

High-intensity ultrasound (frequency 20 kHz, amplitude 141 μm, t = 2.5 min) was used to create emulsions via cavitation. Ultrasound led to a reduction in oil droplet size and a modification of plant fibers, which influenced their techno-functional properties and improved emulsion stability due to higher viscosities. This played a major role in the in-vitro digestion. The gastrointestinal tract was simulated consisting of an oral (pH 6.8, T = 37 °C, t = 10 min), gastric (pH 2.5, T = 37 °C, t = 2 h) and an intestinal phase (pH 7.0, T = 37 °C, t = 2 h), with corresponding digestive fluids. It turned out that fibers with a high amount of soluble DF were able to stabilize the emulsions until they entered the intestinal phase. They formed a micelle-like network probably consisting of pectin, protein and small immobilized oil droplets. The digestibility by lipase could be increased by about 10 %. 

The usage of plant fibers in emulsions can help to increase the daily uptake of DF and at the same time counteract absorption deficiencies due to better fat digestibility. Therefore, it could provide a promising basis for dietary supplements rich in nutrients.

Black soybean, a cultivar of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), has been widely used as a good source of food protein as well as a medicinal food. Its antioxidative activity is generally higher than that of yellow soybean due to its unique functional polyphenols. Nevertheless, the utilization of black soybean as a food ingredient and food itself is often limited because of its beany or grassy flavor that is caused by enzymatic rancidification of internal unsaturated fatty acids. To reduce this deterioration and increase sensory quality, the enzymatic characteristics of lipoxygenase in black soybean should be uncovered, which enables to build the foundation for efficient control of black soybean quality. In this study, a novel lipoxygenase (BLOX) was purified from black soybean and its catalytic properties were ascertained for the first time. The molecular weight of BLOX was 101 kDa and its unique heterodimeric structure with two different subunits of molecular weight 46 kDa and 55 kDa was elucidated. The optimum pH and temperature were pH 9.5 and 40°C, respectively. BLOX was highly stable at the pH range of 6.0–10.0 and below 40°C, and was stimulated by ferrous ion (Fe²⁺). In terms of substrate specificity, BLOX showed a substrate preference to linoleic acid, generating 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid as the major product; therefore, BLOX could be classified into the linoleate 13S-LOX family (EC 1.13.11.12). Finally, the kinetic parameters (V_max, K_m, and k_cat) of BLOX were 0.124 mM·min^-1, 0.636 mM, and 12.28 s^-1, respectively, and consequently the catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) was calculated as 1.93 × 10⁴ M^-1·s^-1. These catalytic characteristics of BLOX indicate that BLOX is robust enough to cause enzymatic rancidification and should be controlled to mitigate the deterioration of black soybean by appropriate methods.

Hybrid liposomal systems combining liposomes with other carriers, such as capsosomes and lipogels, have been attracted increasing interest in improving liposomal biodegradability. However, most of the current studies on the hybrid systems were not focused on stimuli-sensitive release for target delivery. In this study, pH-sensitive capsosomes incorporating liposomal subcompartments with solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as core were fabricated, and their ability to release liposomes to target site was investigated. Because the physicochemical properties (particle size (PS) and zeta potential (ZP)) of chitosan-coated SLNs (CSLNs) and liposomes were PS_CSLN = 278.17 nm, ZP_CSLN = +32.37 mV, PS_liposome = 63.32 nm, and ZP_liposome = -31.07 mV, respectively, positively charged CSLNs bound with negatively charged liposomes by electrostatic interaction. Theoretically, based on the charge density of CSLNs and liposomes, the surface of 365 ppm CSLNs was covered with 430 ppm liposomes at the saturation point. The experiments of incorporation efficiency showed that 720 ppm liposomes were an optimum condition of liposome concentration to achieve stable capsosomes without aggregation. TEM and SEM analysis showed the incorporated liposomes were localized on the corona of the prepared capsosomes with 720 ppm liposomes. Because the charge density of CSLNs and liposomes changed at different pH conditions, the capsosomes were stable at acidic pH, whereas released the incorporated liposomes at neutral and basic pH. Furthermore, in vitro simulated digestion study showed that the capsosomes released the incorporated liposomes at the conditions of small intestine. From the above results, the capsosomes exhibited novel pH-sensitive property for small intestine-target delivery and this study could contribute to the potential application of liposomes in the food industry.

Triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) that is utilized in lipid-based food industry, possesses a peculiar characteristic called stereoselectivity which is a difference of preference for hydrolysis between sn-1 and sn-3 positions of its substrates. The analysis of stereoselectivity of lipase has been limited to a single step of the hydrolysis reaction, measuring only at the initial phase of hydrolysis. We propose the integral stereoselectivity which incorporates the whole steps of the hydrolysis reaction from triacylglycerol to glycerol, and a novel analytical system to determine the integral stereoselectivity. The analytical system measures the time course of hydrolysis based on three main steps: derivatization of 1,2-sn- and 2,3-sn-diacylglycerols, resolution of the diacylglycerol derivatives by chiral-phase HPLC, and analysis of the regioisomers of diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols by HPLC-ELSD. As a result of validation of the system with 3 model lipases (porcine pancreatic lipase, PPL; lipase from Chromobacterium viscosum, CVL; lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens, PFL), at the initial phase of trioleoylglycerol hydrolysis, PPL, CVL and PFL produced 1,2-sn-, 1,3-sn-, and 2,3-sn-dioleoylglycerols in the ratio of 54.6:0.0:45.4, 70.9:0.0:29.1, and 10.6:23.6:65.8, respectively. This result indicates that PPL, CVL, and PFL are non-stereoselective, sn-3 stereoselective, and sn-1 stereoselective, respectively. Furthermore, the integral stereoselectivity of lipase was quantified as reaction constants for each step determined by kinetic modeling of the time course of acylglycerol species based on Runge-Kutta fourth-order method. The integral stereoselectivity of lipase determined by this study could classify the lipases in detailed manner and provide a way to discover lipases with exceptional stereoselectivity, which would expedite the application of lipase such as synthesis of structured lipids with a stereospecific distribution of fatty acids.

Introduction

Children have more food choices and are more in control of their diets than ever before. Nurturing healthy dietary habits is especially important during childhood as these habits are shaped from an early age and they subsequently become difficult to change after their teens. It is unknown if developing new fun and healthy breakfast meals helps to form healthy dietary habits of the children. 

Methods

Market surveys were conducted on parents of children aged 7-12 and children aged 7 – 12 using an online market survey to create the target consumer persona that portray their key characteristics and needs. The desired nutritional benefits and preferred choice of breakfast were identified through the market surveys, and were used to design and develop the new breakfast meal items. The sensory acceptance of the developed breakfast items were conducted by the parents in the comfort of the target consumers’ houses. Hedonic scale using pictorial faces was used for the rating of liking.

Results

50% of parents (n=57) responded that the kids’ breakfast are not nutritious. 49.1% shared that their kids do not like vegetables. 87.7% of them would like a ready to eat breakfast for their kids that is high in calcium and 70.2% of them wanted the breakfast options to be low in sugar and high in dietary fibre. 86% of children preferred pancake with sauce for breakfast. The finished steamed pancake products were enriched with  dietary fibre (6%) and calcium (0.27%). The products also provide a fun experience where the children can draw on the pancakes using the sauces. 81.8% of the children (n=11) approved all the sensory attributes and 100% would ask their parents to buy the pancakes.

Discussion

The type of preferred breakfast of the target audience was identified and development of a nutritious and fun breakfast was developed.

How to process novel food with different texture properties and give more space to consumer personalization? These are the main goals of 3D-printing for foodstuffs. 3D-printing enables consumers to carefully select their ingredients for healthier meals and create easily complex shapes with specific texture desired. However only few studies deal with the impact of printing and post-treatment parameters on the texture of food products. Using a carrot-puree-based paste as a food-ink model, we studied the influence of different printing parameters and post-processing conditions on the texture of cylindrical appetizers obtained with a food-printer prototype and baked in an oven. A Response Surface Design experiment (26 trials) was set up in order to study two printing (nozzle diameter (2.5 to 6.0 µm) and filling rate (40 to 100%)) and two post-processing (time (10 to 30 min) and temperature (120 to 220 °C) of baking) parameters. These parameters were selected after carrying out preliminary tests showing that they can modify final product texture. Texture of obtained appetizers were studied by penetrometry measurements, dimensional profiles and image analysis of the internal structure. Results showed the major influence of baking parameters on food texture but also a significant effect of the two printing parameters. A predictive model was established based on these four parameters. Statistical analysis also enables a back-engineering approach: in the range of texture of the study, knowing the desired texture, you can know the values of the four parameters to apply to get the final product. This first approach based on instrumental texture study gave us some good keys to continue with sensorial description, as well as visual and sensory appreciation by consumers.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen able to survive and multiply under different stress conditions. The high persistence in industrial premises and foods is due to its ability to form biofilm. A strategy to overcome L. monocytogenes contamination consist in the inhibition of biofilm formation or removal of mature biofilms through antimicrobial compounds like bacteriocin. The aim of this work was analyze L. monocytogenes FBUNT genes and proteins regulated during biofilm formation at 10 °C exposed or not to the bacteriocin lactocin AL705 by using transcriptional and comparative proteomic approachs. Listeria was growth in culture media in the presence or absence of lactocin AL705 (at subinhibitory concentration) during 6 days at 10°C. Sessile cells were growth in 24-wells microplates and planktonic cells in tubes (3 ml). Genes related to aggregation, adhesion, virulence, biofilm formation and stress factors were evaluated by PCR and RT-qPCR. The genes lmo1601, lmo1634, lmo2016 and agrA were up-regulated in biofilm cells; bacteriocin addition decreased their expression while up-regulated luxS, agrB, agrD and lmo0327. Moreover, L. monocytogenes FBUNT proteome under planktonic, lactocin AL705-treated and untreated biofilms were analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS. Compared to planktonic growth, sessile cells involved protein abundance shifts associated with nucleic acids (Lmo0935, RsmH) and lipids (Lmo2089, GlpD) metabolisms as well as transport (Lmo1875, Lmo2372). When sessile cells were treated with lactocin AL705, proteins up-regulation were mostly related to carbohydrate metabolism and nutrient transport. Notably, transport systems as β-glucosidase IIABC (lmo0027), cellobiose (lmo2763) and trehalose (lmo1255) specific PTS proteins were highly overexpressed but mannose (lmo0098) specific PTS protein was downregulated. Results indicate that a sublethal dose of lactocin AL705 induced adaptation mechanisms in L. monocytogenes FBUNT sessile cells at 10 ºC, which would provide valuable data for specific genes targeting to control this pathogen biofilm upon the treatment with bacteriocins.

Foamy foodstuffs like beer, bread, and desert specialties own a high consumer acceptance due to their unique textural and sensory properties. As opposed to this, foams in the processing industry are generally obstructive to a smoothly running workflow. While foams may reduce the level of efficiency in extraction and separation processes due to pressure losses within the columns, they also present a microbial problem for the filling process of beverages, where machines are contaminated by overfoaming product. Spatial extent of foams is the critical parameter in process control and results from the net sum of foam generation and decay mechanisms. Those mechanisms can be characterized by the intensive properties of liquid and gas such as density, viscosity, and surface tension as well as the extensive properties consisting of bubble size distribution and liquid content. The work at hand aims to simulate local and temporal varying mechanisms in the life and death of foams by CFD based on the aforementioned parameters to predict the overall foam volume. The model is based within the Euler-Euler framework and utilizes the inhomogeneous Multiple Size Group model. Therein single bubbles, and thus foam lamella, are not resolved. Instead entrained gas is deployed by a concentration field. By extending current concepts for generalized two-phase flows with an additional morphological function, foam structures are detected through critical volume fractions of the dispersed phase. Upon detection transport terms within the momentum, mass, and energy balances are adapted for each phase to reflect coupled mechanisms like drainage, capillary effects and coarsening within foams.  Using this approach, natural decay as well as the disruptive effect of thermal actors on foam stability is studied to optimize the positioning as well as radiation intensity of the actors within process plants.

Food industries have a long-standing interest in increasing the protein content of food products, however, increasing protein concentration often generates undesirable mouthfeel. Although the specific mechanisms of such adverse sensorial perception remain poorly understood, we hypothesize that it is mechanistically linked to electrostatic interaction between protein and saliva during oral processing. To test this hypothesis, we used varying concentrations (0.1-10 wt%) of model dairy proteins and investigated their physicochemical and material properties in the presence of model saliva containing purified bovine submaxillary mucin1 (BSM) at 37 ○C. Soft tribology was performed using glass-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) contact surfaces to analyse the lubrication behaviour of proteins, model saliva and protein-saliva mixtures (1:1 to 1:4 w/w) at 2 N load. Both model saliva and proteins reduced friction coefficients in the boundary regime as compared to the buffer. Interestingly, an enhanced lubrication behaviour was observed in protein + model saliva mixture, possibly associated with electrostatic repulsion of saliva (ζ-potential  – 5 mV)  with the protein at neutral pH (ζ-potential – 23.5 mV), resulting in forming a thicker locally phase-separated lubricating film in the contact zone. Ongoing experiments will assess these interactions further.

Acknowledgement: Funding from the BBSRC-Mondelez DTP is acknowledged.

Reference:

1 A. Sarkar, F. Xu, S. Lee (2019). Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 273, Article No. 102034

2 F. Xu, E. Liamas, M. Bryant, A. F. Adedeji, E. Andablo-Reyes, M. Castronovo, R. Ettelaie, T. V. J. Charpentier, S. Lee A. Sarkar, (2020). Advanced Materials Interfaces, 7, Article No. 1901549

Globally, the number of people rating ingredient recognition as very important is increasing. Consumers prefer to avoid food additives especially synthetic, chemical and artificial sounding types. This concern is related to a general fear of chemicals and their association with diseases. The clean label proposition is generally considered to be seeking for natural alternatives to chemical sounding food additives, and listing named ingredients on labels rather than E-numbers. Consumers prefer minimally processed products with simple ingredient lists which contain kitchen-type ingredients that can be easily recognised with the knowledge of their origin. The concept which is called ‘clean label’ is driven by the consumer’s need to understand food labels, desire for transparency, and increasing interest in health and wellbeing. In the ice-cream industry, there has been attempts to search for potential alternative ingredients and processing methods which help to produce ice cream free from conventional additives and E-numbers. This highlights the increasing interest in substituting commercial additives and E-numbers with natural and cleaner ingredients. 

Objective: The increased global demand for protein and animal-based products requires a better use of resources by improving the utilization of by-products. In this context, it is essential to explore consumer beliefs about offal and viscera and their potential use for human consumption as food ingredient. 

Material and Methods:  Four hundred Spanish consumers were balanced by gender and aged between 20 and 63 years. The survey consisted of 32 questions according to the Theory of Planned Behavior with 9 items on behavioral beliefs. Each of these items was assessed on a 7-point Likert scale. To identify segments of consumers with similar beliefs and attitude patterns an Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster Analysis was performed. The cluster validity was checked by means of a Discriminant Analysis. In addition, an ANOVA was carried out to explore the differences between clusters. 

Results:  Overall, most participants believed that the development of meat products containing offal extracts would provide more nutritious, cheaper and sustainable products. However, these products were perceived as less healthy, more disgusting, more artificial, and containing undesirable compounds. Three consumer segments were identified by means of the cluster analysis. Cluster 1 (n=202; positive view) was characterized by their positive attitude towards the use of offal extracts on sensory properties and nutritional value of the developed meat products. Cluster 2 (n=94; health conscious consumers) was characterized by the perceived positive impact on environmental sustainability and affordable prices of meat products. Cluster 3 (n=104, negative view) was characterized by the negative perception of these products, especially regarding sensory properties, health and environmental sustainability.  

Conclusion: According to consumers beliefs, there is a noticeable potencial for acceptance of meat products containing viscera and offal extracts. However, specific marketing strategies need to address to improve those beliefs of cluster2 and specially 3. 

Introduction: Currently, there is a growing interest in using probiotic bacteria for the production of fish products. Fish is a valuable source of animal proteins, minerals, fat-soluble vitamins, antioxidants and other biologically active compounds. The use of probiotic bacteria in the production of fish products will save valuable fish muscle mass, improve its organoleptic properties and increase the nutritional value and digestibility of raw materials. However, the use of definite strains of probiotic bacteria in fish products is still limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of various strains of probiotic bacteria in the production of fermented semi-finished product from minced muscle tissue of the northern blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou).

Methods: Fermentation of minced muscle tissue of the northern blue whiting was carried out using L. Plantarum, L. Casei, S. Thermophilus (5 wt.%) and sucrose (2 wt.%). The fermentation process (37 ºC) was monitored for 24 hours, for this purpose the total number of probiotic bacteria, biochemical (pH, acidity), chemical (non-protein and amine nitrogen), functional and technological (water holding capacity), structural and mechanical (penetration force), organoleptic and colorimetric (whiteness) indicators were determined. 

Results & Discussion: The effect of individual probiotic strains on the properties of the semi-finished product during fermentation was evaluated. The number of probiotic bacteria increased during fermentation, pathogenic bacteria were not detected. It was shown that the growth of probiotic bacteria was accompanied by a decrease in pH, an increase in acidity and levels of non-protein and amine nitrogen. Besides, a change in the smell, color and texture of the samples was observed. A semi-finished fish product with a high content of viable probiotic cells was obtained, which can be used to prepare new functional fish food products, as well as feed materials.

Acknowledgments: The study is supported by The Russian Science Foundation, project No. 16-16-00076.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology uses short electric pulses to permeabilise the cell membrane of plant cells through cell electroporation. This improves mass transport throughout the tissue, causes turgor pressure loss and softens the texture. Studies about the effect of PEF on texture degradation during subsequent thermal processing and on the structure and organisation of the texture determining cell wall polymer pectin, however, are scarce. In this study, it was hypothesized that PEF facilitates enzymatic conversions of pectin in the cell wall. More exactly, it was hypothesized that PEF promotes pectin methylesterase (PME) activity, reducing the degree of methylesterification (DM) of pectin and enabling the formation of Ca²⁺-crosslinks. It was also hypothesized that effects on other enzymes involved in pectin crosslinking (e.g. peroxidase) could not be excluded. Pectin with a low DM (which can be obtained after mild thermal processing at 60 °C) is already known to show slower depolymerisation by beta-elimination during cooking. Also the presence of crosslinked pectin may slow down texture degradation during cooking. Therefore, the cooking behaviour of cortex and vascular carrot tissue was compared after a mild thermal pretreatment, a PEF pretreatment and a combined PEF and mild thermal pretreatment. The DM and the cell wall material bound calcium and phenolics were determined using Fourier-transformation infrared spectroscopy, inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector, respectively. The results obtained clearly demonstrate that a PEF pretreatment is able to slow down the cooking behaviour of both carrot tissues, the effect being most pronounced for vascular tissue. The combination pretreatment resulted in the slowest cooking behaviour. These differences in texture could be explained by a lower DM and improved pectin crosslinking. Given the above, PEF can be considered for texture preservation of fruits and vegetables during thermal processing.

Acrylamide (H₂C=CH-CO-NH₂)_, is a toxic substance produced by Maillard's reaction at high temperatures in baked foods. It has adverse effects on human health, and thus EFSA recommends do not exceed the dose of 0.17 mg/kg b.w. per day. The benchmark levels allowed in foods are between 50 and 1000 µg/kg of product as established in the Regulation (EU) 2017/2158. In order to overcome this problem, action must be taken to reduce the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars, which leads to the formation of acrylamide in bakery products such as pizza. This reaction can be inhibited using the enzyme L-asparaginase, which converts L-asparagine in aspartic acid and ammonia. In this project, the reduction of asparagine in pizza dough by asparaginase treatment is studied. For this aim, the wheat flour is treated with the commercial enzyme “Preventase” in three different formulations. Substrate, enzyme concentration, water content and mixing conditions, such as time and speed, are considered for the enzyme treatment. Finally, the asparagine content is detected in dough samples prepared with or without PreventAse. The final reduction of acrylamide will be evaluated, upon assessing the rheological properties of enzyme-treated doughs as well as leavening, temperature and cooking time. However, Maillard's reaction is crucial to the taste and the colour of cooked food, therefore, physico-sensory characteristics of cooked pizza will be also investigated. 

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is a serious concern in the food industry. Due to its biofilm-mediated ability to persist in industrial environments and its biocide tolerance capacity, new biocontrol strategies are being explored. 

The use of non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma for the activation of water and liquids through their exposure to a plasma discharge has gained interest over the past decade with regards to decontamination of food products and processing environments. The typical acidification and the presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in the plasma activated water (PAW) have been related to its antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, the PAW storage capacity, offsite generation, possibility for self-sanitation and reactivation, and eco-efficient production facilitate its implementation in the food industry.

In the present study, the influence of PAW generation conditions (power, activation time) and refrigerated storage on the chemical composition (pH and levels of hydrogen peroxide, nitrates and nitrites) and antimicrobial efficacy against L. monocytogenes planktonic cells and biofilms was evaluated. Overall, the pH values were lower and the RONS levels higher when the PAW was generated at the highest plasma power and the longest activation time. The potential of PAW for microbial disinfection was demonstrated on a cocktail of three L. monocytogenes strains on planktonic state, achieving logarithmic reductions (lr) of 2.5 and higher than 4.9 after 5 and 60 min exposure, respectively. PAW antimicrobial activity on L. monocytogenes biofilms was lower than in the planktonic state but still able to achieve lr of 1.5 on stainless steel and 1.2 on polystyrene after 15 min exposure, and lr higher than 3.9  on stainless steel and 3.7 on polystyrene after a treatment of 30 min. Thus, PAW has been demonstrated as a sustainable and promising alternative to traditional sanitizers applied in the food industry for biofilm removal. 

High moisture extrusion has high potential to respond to the increasing demand for plant protein-based meat analog products in an economic and ecological way. Currently, the most abundant protein sources used for the production of meat analogs present soy protein, wheat gluten, pea protein, or mixtures thereof. With the increasing need to provide enough protein for human nutrition, interest is rapidly growing in producing meat analogs from novel plant protein sources such as pea protein, rape seed protein, peanut protein, or algae. In this context, unknown relationships between the technological properties of plant proteins and the extrusion process design determine the structure and quality of the resulting meat analog structure. Thus, a strong interest exists to evaluate the capability of novel plant protein sources to achieve products that match consumers’ expectations.

A modular benchtop extruder was applied to investigate the capability of different plant proteins to produce meat analog products. To determine the relationship between the technological properties of plant proteins, extrusion process, and product structure, oscillatory rheological measurements combined with simultaneous microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were conducted. The obtained results exemplify for the first time, how the information gained from oscillatory measurements can be linked to the final structure of meat analog products as well as changes in the molecular protein structure that determine its technologal properties.

Finally, these findings can be used to apply Raman spectroscopy as inline process analytical tool to scale up the extrusion process from laboratory to pilot scale. Since mostly pilot scale extruders are available in food industry, investigating the suitability of various protein sources for this application typically involves a labor-intensive development process requiring large amounts of test material (> 10 kg). The presented approach shows, how the development footprint can be reduced by testing novel protein sources at much smaller scales (< 100 g).

Between 2010 and 2019, more than 40 epidemiologic studies fond positive associations between excess consumption of ultra-processed foods and the development of chronic diseases (obesity, hypertension,type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, altered microbiota, all-cause mortality, weight gain, metabolic syndrome...). The qualitative NOVA classification of foods according to their degree of processing is widely used worldwide by researchers, and also recognized by several international institutions (FAO, WHO, UNICEF, PAHO…). NOVA defines ultra-processed foods (UPFs) by the presence of processed industrial ingredients and/or additives to modify the sensory properties (aroma, taste, colour and texture) of the reconstituted foods, called ‘cosmetic’ compounds since modifying the appearance of foods. Some drastic processes directly applied to food are also markers of ultra-processing (MUPs). However, in the intent to develop an elaborated tool for manufacturers, retailers and communities the Siga classification was developed by combining the four holistic NOVA groups with four new more reductionist subgroups considering the impact of processing on the food/ingredient matrix; the contents of added salt, sugar and fat; the nature, number and potential health risk of MUPs. How can Siga tools be used to improve the quality of the food offered to consumers? Concrete cases will be developed. For example, analysis of 24,000 packaged foods representative of the food supply in the supermarket with regard to the degree of processing show that 67% are UPFs. The same methodology was used to detect UPFs and improve the food supply for school meals and industrials products. Finally, our results also show that is is not sufficient to rely only on additives or nutritional data to tackle ultra processed food issue and evaluate the overall food health potential.

In the present study beta-carotene, guest compound, was encapsulated in a high amylose starch (HAS) that was the carrier. The objective of this research was to find out the concentration effects of the guest compound on the carrier particles’ characteristics. HAS was used as an encapsulant in its V-form and b-carotene was physically entrapped in the modified structure of the starch. In order to change HAS B-type to V-type a cold gelation treatment at ambient conditions was applied using NaOH solution. After the nanoparticle production an annealing treatment took place in order to increase nanoparticle crystallinity. Nanoparticles were produced as guest and treated carrier were mixed together under mild stirring. Beta-carotene encapsulation was verified using Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), particle crystallinity was measured using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and color, particle size and encapsulation efficacy were determined. The results of our study seemed that the concentration of the guest compound did not played a crucial role in the encapsulating efficiency, or in the structure of the nanoparticles. Additionally, the FTIR study confirmed that in all the samples the beta-carotene was encapsulated in the HAS matrix. The only part that was affected was the color, which could be explained by some amount of beta-carotene that was not encapsulated.

Micro-foaming of fat/oil-based foods is of ongoingly growing interest, since the micro-foam structure generates a desirable smooth/creamy textural mouth feel while impacting beneficially on calorie density reduction. Dynamic membrane micro-foaming has proved to be a promising technology for dispersing liquids or gases under well-defined low viscous energy dissipation conditions. This is key for micro-foaming of fat melt-based crystal slurries to avoid re-melting of fat crystals which shall be applied for pickering- and network-stabilization of micro-foams from fats, fat continuous emulsions/suspensions and oleogels. Fats/oils are mixtures of triglycerides and show a transition from Newtonian to transiently non-Newtonian rheology upon crystallization. 

Due to the highly dynamic nature of fat crystallization under appropriate foaming conditions, an in-line rheometry technique was applied for process control in this study: the so-called Ultrasound Doppler Pressure Difference (UVPPD) method developed recently in our ETH-FPE lab enabled us to accurately measure the rheological properties of palm kernel based oil/fat crystal suspensions in-line. The yield stress τ₀ of such was proved to be a rheological key parameter determining gas bubble stabilization. Its dependency on solid fat content (f_SFC) and crystal morphology was successfully fitted with a model proposed by Marangoni and Rogers varying the primary particle size while keeping the fractal dimension and the interfacial tension constant. 

Accordingly, novel fat foam-based spreads with mean bubble size below 10 microns and overrun up to 500% were processed up to pilot scale. These results create a base for new product development avenues concerning foamed food products of (i) largely reduced caloric density, (ii) pleasant sensory perception characteristics and (iii) increased mechanical and thermal stability as well as means for tailored processing of such.

Interest in plant protein-based hydrogels with desirable strength has been increasing in recent years. In this study, Bambara groundnut protein isolate (BPI) was crosslinked with transglutaminase (TGase) (0 – 25 U/g) during gelation and rheological, textural and microstructural properties of the resulting hydrogels were investigated.  Treatment with TGase up to 15 U/g resulted in the formation of a homogeneous network and structured hydrogels with small pores. G’ of TGase-treated BPI hydrogels was more than ten-fold higher than G” throughout the frequency range of 0-100 rad/s, suggesting the dominance of the elastic-like behavior. BPI hydrogel with the highest G’ (6967 Pa) and hardness (5.60 N) was formed at 15 U/g TGase activity. The hydrogel had a high distribution β-sheets (53.52%) and α-helixes (26.17%) as compared to the β-turns and random coils.  However, a further increase in TGase activity did not improve the hydrogel properties. Transglutaminase mediated crosslinking of BPI hydrogel was demonstrated by model reactions, reduction in amine and thiol groups and the formation of a new protein band (56 kDa) in crosslinked hydrogels. Overall, TGase promoted the formation of a strong gel with a structured network.

Cow’s milk is one of the most important nutrient sources in the human diet and dairy products that are widely consumed around the world. The consumption of cow’s milk has fallen by 15% in the US since 2012, while demand of plant-based milk substitutes have grown by 61% within the same time period, reaching 2,11 billion USD in sales in 2017. Some of these substitutes can be listed as soymilk, almond milk, coconut milk and hazelnut milk. The trend is driven by consumer preferences for new flavors and taste followed by health reasons, diet preferences and ethical reasons. Non-dairy applications increase rapidly as a result of high demand in the market. Milk substitutes, plant-based yoghurts, non-dairy probiotic foods are examples of such applications. Food industry face with various technological challenges such as maintaining the stability of colour, providing the suitable taste and texture for the consumers. In this study, non-dairy applications, technological challenges and solution to these challenges are reviewed. This review will support future studies by introducing different applications and creative ways to overcome possible challenges.

Colored cauliflower is a source of bioactive compounds, hydrophilic and lipophilic, which during cooking are differently affected by heat. This study aimed to compare the impact of traditional boiling with that of innovative mild oven process (steam oven and sous-vide) performed at low temperature, for short time, by using steaming as heat transfer mean, on phytochemical compounds (phenols, glucosinolates, carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols) of violet and orange cauliflower, resurgent varieties on the market. The effect of cooking time (10, 25, and 40 min) on the concentration of such compounds was also assessed in each tested procedure. Phenols and glucosinolates were analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-HRMS (Q-Exactive Orbitrap) and PLS-DA was used as a supervised classificatory method of samples according to the cooking procedure and time. The highest VIP (Variable Important Projection) values allowed to detect the most discriminant molecular features. Carotenoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols were analyzed by UPLC/PDA, UPLC/FL, and GC-EI/MS, respectively. PLS-DA allowed a selection of the most discriminant among the targeted phenolics (i.e. Caffeoyl-quinic acid) and glucosinolates (i.e. 4-mercaptobutyl) to characterize samples according to the cooking procedures and times. The results suggest that both steam oven and oven sous-vide procedures seem to be preferable in comparison to boiling to increase the concentration levels of phenols and glucosinolates in both cauliflowers. Boiling had the highest positive impact on carotenoids (lutein, α-carotene, β-carotene), tocopherols (α-, γ- and δ-tocopherol, the last one quantified for the first time in orange cauliflower) and phytosterols (campesterol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol), increasing with cooking time (10, 25 min) when compared to raw samples (orange and violet). Steam oven and oven sous-vide samples displayed similar contents of those compounds, lower than boiling. Different cauliflower varieties (orange and violet) should be cooked with a preferential method (heat transfer mean and time) focused on the preservation of targeted bioactive compounds (lipophilic or hydrophilic).

Pasta is one of the most consumed foods in the world but has a low content of bioactive compounds. Therefore, the possibility of adding functional ingredients to pasta has been the focus of numerous studies and the most interesting results include products enriched with phytochemicals. Among them, tannins are natural compounds with proven biological and pharmacological activities. However, most of these compounds are soluble in aqueous solutions and their concentration could decrease during the cooking phase of pasta.

Thus, the present study aimed to analyze the release of bioactive compounds during cooking of five different types of tannins (kindly provided by Silvateam S.p.a.) added to fresh egg pasta in three different concentrations (0.25%, 0.50% and 1% on the total amount of the flour), by applying different cooking times (2, 4 and 6 minutes). Moreover, in order to evaluate the effect of the surface of the pasta exposed to water on the rate of the release, three different pasta shapes were tested, having the same section but different exposed surface.

As regards the total phenolic content (TPC) and the antiradical activity (RSA) of the cooked pasta, significant differences (p<0.05) emerged in relation to the type and concentration of tannin and the different cooking times. No significant differences were found among the three different shapes of pasta. On the other hand, the increase of the TPC in the cooking water was directly proportional to the increment of cooking time and tannin concentration in the uncooked pasta. However, it was found that the type of tannin and the shape of the pasta did not significantly influence the solubilization of the compounds in the water. Furthermore, the loss of these bioactive compounds was always less than 50% of the quantity added in the raw sample, even in the case of overcooking (6 minutes).

Textural properties of low-moisture food products such as cookie change drastically because of glass transition induced by water sorption. In our previous study, effect of water sorption on the mechanical glass transition temperature (T_g) and texture change of a plain cookie was investigated. Recently there has been considerable interest in starch-based cookie because of no gluten and low fat. The purpose of this study was to understand T_g and textural properties of starch-based cookie as a function of water content. The results were compared with the plain cookie reported previously.  

A commercially available starch-based cookie was employed. Samples were dehydrated and then equilibrated at 25 ºC in a desiccator with various types of saturated salt. T_g of the samples were investigated using a thermal rheological analysis. Texture properties (fracture force, fracture energy, and numbers of the fracture peak in force-deformation curve) were investigated using a texture analyzer. 

Mechanical glass transition could be clearly observed as a force-drop, and T_g was determined from the departure point of the force-drop. Anhydrous T_g of the starch-based cookie was lower than that of plain cookie. The T_g decreased with increase in water content because of water plasticizing effect. The T_g-depression behavior of the starch-based cookie was lower than that of plain cookie. From the T_g-depression behavior, critical water content (water content at T_g = 25 ºC) was evaluated. The starch-based cookie had higher critical water content than the plain cookie. Textural properties were changed discontinuously at the critical water content because of glass transition induced by water sorption. The starch-based cookie showed a lower fracture force, lower fracture energy, and higher number of fracture peaks than the plain cookie. The glass transition and textural properties of the starch-based cookie will be attributed to lower fat content and higher porosity than the plain cookie. 

Objective: To evaluate the impact of positive and negative information about the risk of salt intake for hypertensive and non-hypertensive participants.

Design: A discrete choice experiment.

Setting: An Internet survey in Japan.

Participants: 5,116 people (2,425 hypertensive and 2,691 non-hypertensive; response rate = 57.5%; 50% men).

Interventions: Before and after the study. The information on damage of hypertension and the relationship between hypertension and salt intake was provided between the first 12 choice sets and the second 12 choice sets.

Main Outcomes Measures: We estimated participants’ preferences for reduced-salt lunch boxes after receiving positive and negative information and the difference in marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for reduced salt between pre- and post-information.

Results: Both groups preferred the less-expensive, lower-calorie, and reduced-salt lunch box. Hypertensive participants’ MWTP for reduced-salt foods significantly increased—from 102 JPY (95% confidence interval (CI), 93 to 113 JPY) to 202 JPY (95% CI, 184 to 223 JPY) and 99 JPY (95% CI, 90 to 110 JPY) to 166 JPY (95% CI, 150 to 184 JPY)—after positive and negative information, respectively. Further, non-hypertensive participants’ MWTP significantly increased—from 66 JPY (95% CI, 60 to 73 JPY) to 141 JPY (95% CI, 125 to 160 JPY) and 64 JPY (58 to 70 JPY) to 121 JPY (112 to 131 JPY)—after positive and negative information, respectively. Positive information induced significantly higher MWTP than did negative information for both non- and hypertensive participants (P <0.001).

Conclusions: Positive information led to a higher MWTP for reduced-salt lunch boxes than did negative information; thus, doctors should provide patients with positive information, which may also be useful for hypertension-prevention awareness campaigns.

Background: It is generally accepted that gastric lipase preferentially cleaves the sn-3 position of triglycerides. Gastric lipase stereospecificity studies have mainly focused on detecting the enantiomeric diglycerides produced from the hydrolysis of the sn-1/3 positions through laborious and expensive chromatographic methods. However, other products such as monoglycerides and even glycerol can be also produced by gastric lipase activity but are not reported. In this research, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of in vitro gastric lipolysis by integrating multiple lipolysis responses quantified as a function of digestion time.

Methodology: Five data sets from two previous studies were considered (Table 1). In all cases, O/W emulsions were formulated with triolein (5 %, w/w) and different emulsifiers (1%, w/w) and subjected to in vitro gastric digestion (conditions indicated in Table 1). Independent chyme samples were collected to quantify the lipolysis products by NP-HPLC-CAD. Multi-response modeling of the data sets was performed using the ‘proc model’ of the statistical software SAS (version 9.4).

Results and discussion: A novel HPLC technique allowed the quantification of multiple lipolysis products within a single run. The molecular mechanisms of gastric lipolysis were elucidated from data sets generated from the release of triolein (TAG) hydrolysis products: sn-1,2/2,3-diolein (sn-1,2/2,3-DAG); sn-1,3-diolein (sn-1,3-DAG); sn-2-monoolein (sn-2-MAG); sn-1/3-monoolein (sn-1/3-MAG) and oleic acid (FFA). This mechanism was explained by a reaction scheme including enzymatic and chemical isomerization conversions (Figure 1). Gastric lipase activity towards the sn-2 position was detected, though at a slower rate than the sn-1/3 cleavage.

Conclusion: The reaction mechanism was the same for all conditions. This demonstrates the validity of the mechanistic multi-response model under different static conditions (e.g. different pH and lipase activity values). These findings may be the starting point to develop in silico models to predict the gastric lipolysis based on emulsion design properties.

Competent authorities conduct food controls with the purpose to ensure compliance with food regulations, detect and handle potential food safety problems and prevent health of food consumers. Therefore, data-driven controls are crucial to guarantee effectiveness, fairness, transparency and quality of control responses and actions. Historically, data and information have been collected, analysed and interpreted analogically, influenced by human-, individual- or experience-factors, among others. Digital technologies enable gathering data to be digitally analysed, synthesised and interpreted, as a support instrument, in order to monitor and predict food risks though risk assessment methodologies (quanti-qualitative), as well as create new models of communication and connection between stake holders involved in the food chain: consumers, food business operators and food competent authorities. This study seeks to assess the digital transformation (DT) of municipal official food controls of restaurants in Barcelona combining different DT systems in place in other similar cities of the European Union. Therefore, a qualitative research approach is intended to be conducted through expert interviews in order to compile different methodologies to establish the best DT practices. Information and data collected are going to be coded by using a computer-assisted software for content analysis. The codification process is going to be based on the four taxonomies of digital transformation in public administrations: (1) DT reasons, (2) DT objects, (3) DT transformation process and (4) results of DT. It is expected to collect information about the Why, What and How the official food controls are being digitally transformed. This information will be valuable to describe the current state of DT and its underlaying barriers and facilitators in the food control systems. Additionally, results obtained may guide and support food safety authorities to strengthen and improve their performance through DT.

Nowadays, food innovation is strongly marked by the consumers' demands for healthier and sustainable foods. The general trend is the development of technologies aimed at obtaining healthier, safer foods with a long shelf life and organoleptic characteristics that satisfy the consumer. Based on the hypothesis that melanoidins, compounds with healthy functional activities and obtained from by-products of the baking industry, can be reused as a natural ingredient in bakery products improving their technological, nutritional and even their sensory properties, this work is focused on the possible regulatory effect of melanoidins, isolated from bakery products, on the cellular oxidative stress. 

Melanoidins were enzymatically isolated from bread and biscuit and after carried out simulate gastrointestinal digestion, the different gastrointestinal digestion fractions were tested in human colon adenocarcinoma SW480 cells to evaluate their effect on intracellular ROS levels (DCF assay) and antioxidant cellular stage (ABTS) Furthermore, their incidence on the cell viability (MTT assay) was also evaluated. 

Results showed that the bioaccessible bread and biscuit melanoidins were not cytotoxic and had antioxidant capacity against intracellular ROS, reducing the oxidative stress of the SW480 cells. Bread and biscuit melanoidins had significant different antioxidant capacities, showing bread melanoidins higher protective effect. 

Summary, obtained results pointed out the bakery melanoidins potential to be used as a new functional food ingredient. However, these are preliminary results and more investigation must be carried out.

This work was supported by  Autonomous Government of  Castilla y León/FEDER  (Project BU243P18).

Hazelnuts represent an essential worldwide fruit used by confectionery industry, as raw or processed in order to affect their sensorial and nutritional characteristics. Since hazelnuts are susceptible to rancidity and degradation, immediately after harvest they have to be dried. In fact, as suggested by FDA, a moisture lower than 6% (p/p) ensures a long shelf-life.

In the present work, the effect of different drying conditions on compositional and sensory characteristics of two harvest (2017 and 2018) of Italian “Tonda Gentile Romana” PDO hazelnuts (Soremartec srl, Italy) during 6 months of storage on air at room temperature, were studied. In the first year, three temperatures (20, 30, 40 °C) and two dried air fluxes (7.3, 13.5 m3/min) were evaluated. In the second year, two temperatures (30, 45°C) and two dried air fluxes (7.3, 13.5 m3/min) were examined with static or moving hazelnuts. Humidity, water activity, sensory characteristics, oxidation indices, colour, volatile compounds and electronic nose profiles were evaluated.

In general, low temperatures (20, 30 °C) led significant higher oxidation underlined by a shorter inductive oxidation time from Oxitest. In the first year, the temperature alone does not seem influence the oxidation metabolites, while a significant interaction of time, temperature and air fluxes increases aldehydes and terpenes at lower temperature (20 °C) and air flux (7.3 m3/min). In the second year, it has been highlighted that higher temperatures (45 °C), lower air fluxes and moving hazelnuts increased aldehydes and terpenes. Hardness and odour intensity were significantly affected by drying techniques for the two years. In conclusion, an intermediate temperature (30 °C) and a high air flux with moving hazelnut during drying process seems to show a low lipid oxidation and reduced sensory change during the storage of unshelled hazelnuts.

Acknowledgements

Research was founded by the project “Food Digital Monitoring - FDM”.

Spanish style green table olives from cv. Chalkidiki & Chondrolia Chalkidikis account for 50% of the Greek table olive sector and are mainly exported (92%). Consequently, from the economic point of view their production deserves more attention and modernization to meet consumer expectations and current nutritional guidelines. Traditional Spanish style processing involves debittering with NaOH solution (1.5–2.0%), removal of excess alkali with repeated washes and spontaneous fermentation in brine (8-8.5% NaCl) for a period of 2-4 months. The traditional production line was systematically examined at industrial scale for two consecutive periods. Results indicated that the final product meets current safety requirements, has the characteristic green-yellow color and firm texture of treated fruits of these cultivars that are most required in the market, and retains high polar phenol content. However, the salt content (5.0 g 100 g−1 edible flesh or per 20–23 medium-size olives) burdens product establishment as a functional food according to nutritional guidelines (<5 g/day). In the direction of reducing Na content and considering the spontaneous fermentation followed by the manufacturers, the aim of this work was to achieve effective fermentation under reduced NaCl conditions using only different permitted chloride salts. Different selected combinations of chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2) in fermentation brine were evaluated in terms of safety parameters (bacteria/yeasts, pH, acidity) in brines, olive color and texture during fermentation and mineral content of olives upon storage up to 12 months using appropriate methods. Sensory evaluation took place in certain cases. Brine composition with NaCl-KCl-CaCl2-MgCl2 (4.08% -2.8% -1% -0.12%) was the most suitable for the production of a safe, high quality product with acceptable organoleptic characteristics. The 50% lower NaCl content of olives suggests that reformulation of cv. Chalkidiki& Chondrolia Chalkidikis green table olives by safe intervention is feasible.

Due to the increasing awareness of both environmental and consumer protection as well as the advancing individualisation of consumer goods, the food industry continuously faces new challenges. An increasing product variety and simultaneously decreasing batch sizes demand for frequent product changes and, consequently, a large number of cleaning processes with a high consumption of water, chemicals and time. Product-specific cleaning processes therefore have a high savings potential, but have not yet been fully understood. This investigation focused on four native starches of different botanical origin (maize, waxy maize, potato and wheat) and four modified starches with various cross-linking and acetylation degrees. The swelling behaviour of the starches was analysed with respect to water binding capacity, water absorption index and water solution index. Additionally, the increase of the layer thickness was captured over time to reveal the dynamic swelling process. Deionised water and sodium hydroxide were used as swelling fluids and were varied with regard to temperature and concentration. The same variations were applied for cleaning experiments conducted in a plane channel flow setup (similar to flow regime in plate heat exchangers). Since diffusive dissolution/cohesive separation was identified as the dominant cleaning mechanism for most starches, two parameters were used to describe the cleaning process. i) During the reptation time, the cleaning fluid initially penetrates the soil layer but no cleaning occurs. ii) The subsequent cleaning phase is characterised by a continuous removal with a constant cleaning rate. By applying multivariate statistics, an approach was developed to determine interdependencies between the botanical origin, swelling properties and cleaning behaviour of the starches. The results showed that the swelling behaviour and cleaning rate were significantly influenced by the botanical origin rather than the degree of modification. This is a valuable contribution to the product-specific adaptation of cleaning processes in the food industry.

In organic food productions, the use of plant extracts represents a good strategy to satisfy the demand of stakeholders and consumers for innovative, high quality, healthy, clean label and sustainable formulated products. However, plant extracts are prone to degradation (discolouration, aroma loss, decrease of antioxidant properties) due to stressing processing, environmental and storage conditions as well as interactions among constituents. Microencapsulation represents an interesting action to protect liable bioactives of plant extracts, enhance their stability and technological functionality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of encapsulation by freeze-drying on the physical and functional properties of organic plant extracts and the stability of the powders in glassy state during storage. Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) leaves and tomato fruits “Pera D’Abruzzo” (cv. SAAB-CRA) were preliminarily blanched. (90 °C x 1’) or heat treated (90 °C x 12’) for enzymatic inactivation. Extracts were dispersed in 10 %(w/w) maltodextrins (DE 7.5) solution and encapsulated by freeze-drying (FD-MDE). Freeze-dried extracts (no MD, FD-E) and blanched extracts (BE) were used as reference samples. BE, FD-E and FD-MDE were evaluated just after preparation and during storage (room temperature) for coloring power, water solubility index, thermal properties (T’g, Tg), Total Polyphenol Content and antioxidant activity (FRAP, ABTS). Lycopene content was assessed in tomato products. Addition of maltodextrin to tomato BE samples allowed to hinder structural collapse during freeze-drying by increasing the T’g, and the Tg of the FD-E above room temperature. FD-E and FD-MDE nettle, and encapsulated extract showed Tg values of 30 and 35 °C, respectively. In general, freeze-drying determined a limited loss of the main bioactives of the plant extracts while the use of MD as carrier for encapsulation affected their water solubility, the coloring properties, the bioactive compounds content and antioxidant capacity both during freeze drying and storage at room temperature.

Proteins are essential components of consumer products, as they add structure, functionality and nutritional value to the increasing number and variety of protein-rich products; especially considering the extensive range of new protein sources emerging. The processing parameters used in manufacturing and the actual food matrix will impact how processing will inflict changes and modifications to food proteins. These process-induced protein modifications occurs through different pathways.  One major pathway is the carbohydrate-dependent Maillard reaction. An alternative pathway is the sugar-independent dehydroalanine (DHA) pathway, which can also lead to protein cross-linking. The DHA pathway occur when serine, phosphoserine, or cysteine residues in the protein backbones upon heating are converted into DHA through a β-elimination. Further, reaction of the formed DHA residue(s) with a nucleophilic amino (lysine) or thiol (cysteine) group in a(nother) polypeptide chain results in the formation of lysinoalanine (LAL), lanthionine (LAN) or histidinoalanine, and thereby establish a novel inter-residue cross-link.  Such process-induced modifications have nutritional and functional implications. However, to which extend is not clear at present, as we still have limited insight into the extent and mutual contributions of these pathways in different food matrices. A liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was developed for simultaneous and absolute quantification of these combined modifications from Maillard- and DHA pathways. The method is not dependent on derivatization, which eases sample preparation. This precise and rapid method was used to investigate the impact of different heat-treatments on the extent of process-induced modifications in dairy protein matrices, based primarily on casein or whey, with or without the presence of carbohydrates. Furthermore, we developed a new approach to analyzing these modifications on a specific protein level while maintaining the complexity of the food matrix in the experimental setup.

Production of functional foods with natural bioactive ingredients is key in meeting consumers’ concern for healthy foods with appealing sensory attributes as well as for dietary intervention of non- communicable diseases. Purple leaved tea species (Camellis sinensis), rich in bioactive compounds, anthocyanins and polyphenols has scientifically proven health benefits of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic effect. The bright purple color impacts appealing sensory characteristics in foods while the mild flavor blends well with lemon and different spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Previous and current research studies show that formulated yogurts, spiced beverages and cakes with purple tea infusions have unique health benefits, bioactive compounds and sensory attributes.These evidences suggest the potential of usage of purple tea foods in dietary management of major public health non-communicable diseases such as cancer, coronary heart related diseases and improved brain functionality.

Plant proteins have emerged as a sustainable alternative for emulsifier agents for application in multiphase food systems such as emulsions. Emulsions produced with pea protein concentrate (PPC) as emulsifier and carbohydrates as main components are efficient systems for the stabilization of lipophilic compounds. The aim of this work was evaluating the effect of protein concentration on physicochemical properties and stability of O/W high solids emulsions (30% of total solids w/w) suitable for spray-drying. Low levels of PPC (1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8 and 6.0 % w/w) combined with maltodextrin (22.8, 21.6, 20.4, 19.2 and 18% w/w) were used for emulsion preparation containing orange essential oil (6% w/w) as dispersed phase. Emulsions were studied regarding its physicochemical properties including droplet size distribution, microscopy, rheological behavior, zeta potential and stability by laser scanning turbidimetry using Turbiscan Stability Index (TSI) as response. All formulations showed bimodal size distribution with picks in the ranges of 0.5-20 µm and 20-300 µm. More aggregates were seen on formulations with bigger PPC concentration. All emulsions showed Newtonian behavior and an increase of viscosity from 0.013 to 0.028 Pa.s was observed due to the increase of protein into the continuous phase. All emulsions presented high zeta potential negative values between -57 and -51 mV. The laser scanning turbidimetry assay confirmed creaming and flocculation as main destabilization phenomena that were attenuated by the increase of protein concentration; TSI values ranged from 2.1 (3.6% of PPC) to 4.6 (1.2% of PPC) after 3 hours. This data suggest that higher protein concentration promoted emulsion stability for a longer time as more protein content was available to decrease the interfacial tension between oil and water phases. All protein concentrations resulted in emulsions with droplet size, zeta potential and viscosity considered good for spray drying.

Over the last decades, antimicrobial food packaging has emerged as an effective technology to reduce microbial growth in foods, increasing both their shelf-life and microbial safety towards the consumer. In this presentation, we describe the use of natural origin antimicrobials such as essential oils and stilbenes that have been included in bio-based encapsulation systems (cyclodextrin and cyclodextrin nanosponges) and exploit their use for the development of antimicrobial packaging materials by testing their efficacy against bacterial foodborne pathogens. Additionally, the use of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) for the development of eco-friendlier packaging materials containing ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) as antimicrobial compound has also been exploited as anti-Listeria packaging material. Our results showed that the synthetized cyclodextrin nanosponges were able to successfully encapsulate and release cinnamon and oregano essential oils (EO) as monitored by the validated HS-SPME GC-MS methods for essential oils’ major compounds. EO-loaded CD-NS had an effective antibacterial action against B. thermosphacta, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Y. enterocolitica, C. jejuni and C. coli. Essential oil encapsulation in nanosponges was able to enhance EOs antimicrobial activity by providing a more controlled-release of the EO and also by increasing the oil’s stability. Regarding the studies performed with cyclodextrin monomers, absorbent pads coated with hydroxypropylated-cyclodextrin complexes containing pinosylvin demonstratde in vitro and in vivo efficacy against C. jejuni in chicken meat and chicken exudates at 37 and 4 ºC. Additionally, these active pads also proved effective against other common bacteria usually present in chicken meat. Finally, bio-resourced CNF and LAE were combined to generate antimicrobial packaging materials that demonstrated a potent in vitro activity against L. monocytogenes at concentrations as low as 1% LAE. Furthermore, these films were also evaluated for the control of L. monocytogenes in semi-soft cheese made from raw milk.

Liquid whole egg is a convenient ingredient aiming to reduce the production steps or preparation of food. The demand for liquid whole egg has rapidly grown in recent years at both industrial and domestic levels. Pasteurization is essential to obtain safe liquid whole egg, but it is known to impair the functional properties of egg. High pressure is a sustainable non-thermal alternative to heat pasteurization as it overcomes the limitation of thermal damage. Tea polyphenols are antioxidants that easily bind with egg proteins to form protein-polyphenol complexes, thus prolonging shelf life and protecting proteins from losing their functions due to oxidation. Combination of protein-polyphenol complexes and high pressure can bring about the modifications of structure and the enhancement of functions in whole egg liquid while ensuring the product safety. In the present study, this combination has been assessed with regards to modified structure and enhanced functional properties of liquid whole egg. The structural modifications were examined using spectroscopic, electrophoretic and microscopic methods. The functional properties were evaluated through foaming, emulsifying, rheology, thermal stability, oxidation, and avidin reduction. The findings from this study provide new insights for developing the alternative and effective processing method for liquid egg industry.

Polish population has traditional dishes and traditional kitchen, therefore, the attitude towards something absolutely foreign and associated with poverty and lack of food security can importantly impact the insects perceived as food among Polish consumers. Acceptance of a new food largely depends on the level of food neophobia, i.e. how strong the fear of new food is characteristic of the human psyche. People with a higher level of food neophobia consume a narrower range of food than people with lower levels of food neophobia. The aim of the study was to determine acceptance by consumers of insects and products containing insect-based ingredients. Also, the level of food neophobia among Polish students was determined. The study was held at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland, and consisted of the survey (among 464 students). The objective was realized with an advanced logistic regression model.  The size of the effects of significant variables on the acceptance of edible insects in the diet has been indicated. It was discovered that the factor having the greatest impact on the acceptance of edible insects in the students' diet was food neophobia. The chance of accepting edible insects by people with medium and high neophobia was lower compared to people with low neophobia. The study was supported by CREABIOECON Flagship InterTeam project of INTEREKON grant financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland under the programme "Regional Initiative of Excellence" 2019 - 2022 project number 015/RID/2018/19 total funding amount 10 721 040,00 PLN.

The medical efficacy, addictiveness, national regulations, and clinical outcomes of child-epilepsy and sleep disorders in Cannabidiol (CBD) are still controversial. Determining the acceptable amount of THC based on the content of the pesticide component of the product and the activity of CBD is not an easy decision and requires more clinical discussion. In this paper, when the CBD for food, health care, and recreation is legalized as the current trend, it is about a safety-management system that includes CBD from a scientific and engineering perspective. Thermal energy, surface adsorption of packaging containers, and rate of fat absorption are essential factors controlling CBD stability and human absorption, but studies on this are rare. The study is to complete an IoT system that provides a web-platform for maintaining blood levels of CBD by supplying individual controlled foods. With the recent epidemic of COVID 19, the necessity of non-face-to-face contact and remote diagnosis has gained a rapid social response. The potential of CBD-infused foods has recently been recognized. Teleportation of 3D printed food has been conducted to extend the concept of non-face-to-face connection and remote control. Particular emphasis was placed on web-based control, management, and personalized CBD infused foods prepared by the supercritical processes to control fats in foods. All CBD oils used in this study were legally used to prepare meals using hemp oil. COVID-19 allowed to practice the concept of teleportation for the production, design, and order of CBD-infused foods, and remote management of CBD-infused foods in a spatially separated situation. CBD-infused food was discarded immediately after capturing the 3D printed image

The prevalence and diversity of moulds overgrowing traditional dry-cured meat products is proportional to the product ripening longevity, and is in connection with regional environmental conditions, especially in case of home-based production in which no microbiological filters and no pneumatic barriers are used, and in which temperature and relative air humidity are hard to control. The duration of prosciutto processing, often taking 12 - 18 months, influences surface mould growth together with environmental temperature and humidity during ripening. The aim of this study was to investigate into surface moulds growing on prosciuttos (n = 67) produced in different Croatian coastal climate zones (Dalmatia and Istria) and to relate their presence to the regional climate. The results revealed the predominance of moulds of the Penicillium (75%) genus, while moulds of the Aspergillus (14%) and the Eurotium (11%) genus were present in a significantly lower number of isolates, with higher prevalence and greater diversity in longer ripen prosciuttos. In all prosciutto samples, the most represented species of the Penicillium genus were P. solitum (22%), P. nalgiovense (20%), P. polonicum (14%) and P. commune (13%), their number thereby being higher in samples produced moderate climate regions of Istria. The Aspergillus species (A. pseudoglaucum, A. niger, A. ochraceus, A. proliferans and A. versicolor) were isolated in significantly higher numbers from the surfaces of prosciuttos produced in hotter climate regions (38% of samples) as compared to those produced in moderate climate regions (16% of samples), suggesting that extremely hot and dry weather, often comparable to tropical and subtropical conditions, offers an environment optimal for Aspergillus species growth. Some of the latter species, such as A. niger and A. ochraceus, have been recognized as producers of mycotoxins that often contaminate dry-cured meat products.

Superficial moulds are known to have a favourable impact on traditional dry-cured meat products’ quality due to their ability to retain moisture and aid in the development of product-specific flavour and taste. It is also known that their occurrence depends on ripening chambers’ surroundings, while the intensity of their overgrowth correlates to product ripening longevity. In this study, physicochemical parameters of relevance for mould nascence, such as pH-value, water activity (aw) and water & salt content, were studied in connection with the presence of surface moulds identified in five types of traditional dry-fermented sausages produced by 47 Croatian small family factories and offered on markets and fairs during 2019. Traditional sausages significantly differ (p < 0.05) in pH and aw values, as well as in the water and salt content. The results revealed the Penicillium (71%) to be the dominating mould genus, while Aspergillus (11%), and Mucor (18%) were present in a significantly lower number of isolates. The most frequently identified species were P. nalgiovense (27%), P. solitum (24%) and P. commune (15%), with higher prevalence and greater diversity observed in longer ripen dry-fermented sausages (up to 5 months). The presence of moulds can be attributed to their high ability to grow at low water activity (aw = 0.73 - 0.88) and in mildly acidic conditions (pH = 4.60 - 6.84), as also to their tolerance of high salt content (NaCl = 2.50 - 5.21). The study results demonstrate huge intra- and inter-product variability of physicochemical parameters of traditional homemade dry-fermented sausages, and significant influence of physicochemical properties on surface moulds’ nascence.

The production of minimally processed safe food products of high quality and increased stability and sustainability is major challenge for the dairy industry. Application of new food processing techniques or combination of them, could contribute towards this direction. Nevertheless, process optimization is necessary for an efficient and sustainable production. The aim of this work was to reduce the necessary time for osmotic dehydration (OD) by applying High pressure (HP) or Vacuum impregnation (VI) technologies. Feta cheese cubes were selected as the food for the protocol developed to be applied to. A kinetic study on the effect of different parameters of OD (time/temperature, osmotic solution concentration, food to OD agent ratio), HP (pressure, temperature and time) and VI (vacuum, time of impregnation) on the water activity (a_w), water/solids transport phenomena, sensory and quality of cheese cubes was conducted in order to select the optimum combination of the studied technologies and processing conditions. Through Fick’s Second Law for mass transfer, water and solids diffusion coefficients, were determined. The combination of HP and VI as a pretreatment of OD processing led to increased rates of mass transport phenomena, compared to stand-alone OD. Even mild HP (100-300MPa) and VI (up to 25 Torr) process conditions as pretreatments, resulted in a 2 to 4-fold OD solid gain (SG) and water loss (WL) rates increase. More intense HP and VI conditions, further improved the WL and SH rates, but had also a negative effect on the cheese cubes. Simultaneous OD treatment of the cubes with HP processing at 200MP-25°C-2min, resulted in higher WL and SG values compared to a 30-min OD treatment. Considering all the above, a protocol for producing stable (even shelf-stable) cheese cubes by applying OD and HP or VI technologies as pretreatments was developed, reducing the high OD duration.

Pistachio (Pistacia vera) seeds improper harvesting, postharvest handling and storage result in fungal contamination and subsequent potential aflatoxin production. No treatment may be applied for decontamination. Basic hygienic requirements and prevention and control measures for complying with maximum tolerable levels of aflatoxin is required. Nonthermal technologies could be applied, providing fungal decontamination and shelf-life extension with reduced aflatoxin-producing-potential. Fresh pistachio (cv. Aegina) were carefully unshelled and further processed by; a) Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields-(PEMF) (PAPIMI model 600, Greece), b) Cold atmospheric Plasma-(CAP) treated in a closed rectangular reactor chamber using SDBD source (2-3kV and 32kHz), c) High pressure-(HP) treated (600MPa-25°C-5min) (Resato International BV, Holland). CAP and PEMF samples were treated for 15min. The kernels were evaluated in terms of color, texture, pH, microbial load (total plate count, yeasts and molds) and total aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2) content using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (AgraQuant, Romer Labs). Samples were split and packed in perforated and vacuum pouches and all stored at 5°C for shelf-life experiments. Nonthermal treatment resulted in decreased initial total microbial load by 0.3 for PEMF and 0.7logCFU/g for CAP (3.65logCFU/g for control). HP samples were below detection limit. Microbial growth rates were higher for Control samples followed by PEMF and then CAP (zero growth for HP). The pH value was decreased at all samples apart from HP. Colour and texture values obtained were not statistically different for Control, PEMF and CAP samples. HP samples were softer and more intense coloured (greener). The reduced microbial load of PEMF, CAP and HP treated samples resulted in no aflatoxin detection, in contrary to control samples. Vacuum pouches appeared to retain longer initial quality of kernels. The results obtained validate the efficiency of Nonthermal technologies in producing safer and high quality fresh pistachio kernels of longer shelf-life.

Corn is one of the major ingredients of the human nutrition as it can be consumed in different forms such as whole grain, ground to flour or extracted oil. The increasing demands for corn and corn-based products with high quality has led the agricultural and food science to new challenges. The technology of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) could alter the pre-sowing treatment of the corn seeds promoting their growth rate, increasing the yield and improving the nutritional value and the quality of the final plant products. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the pre-sowing treatment of corn seeds by applying non-thermal technologies, on the physicochemical properties of corn grains and flours. Corn seeds were exposed to PEMF using a PAPIMI electromagnetic field generator (PAPIMI model 600; Pulse Dynamics, Athens, Greece) for 15 min. CAP treatment of the corn seeds was carried out in a closed rectangular reactor chamber using a Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) source operating at 2-3 kV voltage and 32 kHz frequency for 5, 10 and 15 min. After their cultivation and harvest, the obtained corn grains were characterized in terms of color, texture, sphericity and mean geometrical size and the corn flours were evaluated in terms of moisture, ash, protein and crude fiber content. The non-thermal pre-sowing treatments resulted in corn grains and flours with improved quality characteristics in terms of total protein and crude fiber content, color, texture etc. Particularly, by applying CAP for 15 min, corn flours consisted of approximately 40% higher total protein and crude fiber contents compared to the ones of untreated seeds. The results suggested that the CAP and PEMF pre-sowing treatments could be used as alternative ameliorative tools in order to improve the quality properties of corn grains and flours.

Aloe vera is characterized as a medicinal plant with numerous health benefits including wound healing and repair, treatment of burns, skin damage protection, minimizing of blood sugar in diabetics, and improvement of the immune system. These health promoting activities are attributed to minor bioactive compounds contained in Aloe vera gel, such as acemannan which is the one of the major bioactive polysaccharides of the plant. Therefore, the processing of Aloe vera leaves in order to extract the gel, while maintaining its essential bioactive components in the final products, is considered more than important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various processing steps on the quality and nutritional properties of final products prepared from Aloe vera, such as juice, concentrate and powder. The main processing steps of Aloe vera included the washing, trimming and filleting of the leaves as well as the extraction, homogenization, filtration, pasteurization (60-100 °C, 0.3-15min) and decolorization of the gel with activated carbon. For the Aloe vera concentrate and powder, juice further concentration by ultrafiltration and freeze-drying was conducted. The quality parameters such as color, water activity, refractive index, acemannan concentration, sugars analysis, as well as the remaining microbiological load in terms of the total aerobic bacteria (PCA) and the molds/yeasts (RBC) of Aloe vera products were determined at each processing stage. The final products obtained were microbiologically safe and stable, while their quality and nutritional characteristics were high, compared to similar products available in the market. Acemmanan was considered the main quality index and based on its retention, the optimum processing conditions for each step were selected. The holistic approach proposed within this work could be potentially scaled-up producing stable and high quality and nutrition Aloe vera products. 

Cheese made with sheep milk is quite popular for many consumers in Mediterranean countries. The present study examined the possible changes in the chemical composition and microbial content of Greek kefalograviera cheese, caused by the enrichment of the sheep diets with plant polyunsaturated fatty acids. Initially, 30 dairy ewes (Lesvos and Chios crossbreed) were fed conventional diets (based on alfalfa hay, straw and concentrate feed) for a period of one month and on day 30, milk samples were collected from all animals. Then, for a period of two months the same ewes were fed another concentrate feed enriched in omega-3 fatty acids (containing 10% flaxseed and 10% lupins). On days 60 and 90, milk samples were collected from all animals. The milk from each collection was used to manufacture three kefalograviera cheeses (A=30 day, B=60 day, C=90 day), using commercial starter culture, rennet and pasteurized milk. After 3 months of ripening, from each kefalograviera cheese samples were taken for chemical (FoodScan^TM) and microbiological analysis (conventional methods & Microflex LT Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization). Cheese A had the highest fat content (30.5%, 25.6%, 28.10%, respectively), and the lowest moisture (37.9%, 42.4%, 39.6%, respectively) and protein content (26.9%, 27.1%, 29.1%, respectively). The examined microbes were: total viable counts (3.0x10⁸, 9.0x10⁷, 4.0x10⁸, respectively); total aerobes (9.0x10⁷, 1.7x10⁸, 2.7x10⁷, respectively); lactic acid bacteria (7.5x10⁷, 8.8x10⁷, 6.4x10⁸, respectively). The main isolated lactic acid bacteria were: A.) Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus; B) Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus lactis, Enterococcus faecalis; C) Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Enterococcus faecium.

Acknowledgments: This research has been co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) in context “Research – Create – Innovate” within the Operational Program (Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ΕΠΑΝΕΚ) of the NSRF 2014-2020. Project Code: Τ1ΕΔΚ-04727. Acronym “GreenFeeds”.

The principal red pigment in non-nitrified dry-cured hams is Zn-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP). The formation of this stable chromophore implies the replacement of Fe by Zn in the heme moiety. The enzyme ferrochelatase is presumed to have an important role in this formation. Given that in porcine livers the activity of this enzyme is very high, we hypothesized that it is possible to obtain new ingredients with coloring capacity that may help to withdrawn the use of nitrifying agents in meat products. As a preliminary step, we studied the formation of ZnPP in porcine liver homogenates (20% in water and in the presence of antiobiotics) from different genetics and rearing conditions. After the incubation of the liver homogenates, we found that the amount of ZnPP formed was similar regardless of the genetic strain. In addition, there were no differences between livers coming from animals reared under conventional and organic conditions. We also studied the effect of freezing and found that when compared to fresh samples the ability to form ZnPP was unaffected after 3 months of storage. In addition, we studied the effect of the addition of NaCl (0.75, 1, 1.5 M) in order to minimize microbial growth but the formation of ZnPP was inhibited. This is in disagreement with similar studies and it may be attributed to the rapid conversion of oxymyoglobin to metmyoglobin under the studied conditions. The effect of HHP (500 and 600 MPa) on the formation of ZnPP was also studied without the addition of antiobiotics and at different temperatures. The formation was found to be similar to that of the controls (0 MPa). However, the microbial counts of the unpressurized samples reached ≥ 6 log CFU/g more rapidly. Therefore, the application of HPP could help to obtain a natural red pigment with optimal hygienic conditions.

A low level of neophobia determines the openness and acceptance of new protein sources in the diet. Therefore, of great importance is searching for conditions that result in a low level of neophobia. The main objective of the study was to measure and analyze the neophobia level among the students. The study was conducted at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Poland) in June 2019 among students. The respondents were divided into two groups depending on their level of food neophobia. The first group consisted of those with low food neophobia levels (76 people), and the second group consisted of those with medium or high food neophobia levels (378). Assuming that the neophobia is a qualitative variable with two states, a binomial logistic regression model was used to model it. The explanatory variables of the model were: sex; monthly income; travel to Africa; travel to Asia, North and South America; different kind of meat, fish, and seafood as the primary protein source in the diet; a field of the study. It was found that the factor having the most significant impact on the student's food neophobia level was the primary protein source in the diet. The chance of having low food neophobia level by people eating seafood was 273% higher compared to others. Among those who travelled to North America or South America or Asia, the chance of having low food neophobia was 111% higher than for others. The possibility of having a low food neophobia level by man was 100% higher than in women's. The study was supported by CREABIOECON Flagship InterTeam project of INTEREKON grant financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland under the programme "Regional Initiative of Excellence" 2019 - 2022 project number 015/RID/2018/19 total funding amount 10 721 040,00 PLN.

Detection of residual organophosphates in food is of paramount importance in current scenario. The understanding of interaction of pesticides on chemically modified surface is the backbone of biosensor fabrication. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation is one of the most efficient techniques to analyze the interaction of organic molecules with silane modified surfaces making it desirable bio-sensing platform. In this report, we have studied the real time adsorption of pesticide phorate and malathion on silica coated quartz crystal of QCM-D. The interaction study was first monitored on gold coated and unmodified silica coated crystal as reference. Further self-assembled monolayer was created on silica crystal using n-propyltrimethoxy silane (PTMS), octyltrimethoxy silane (OTMS), N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl) aniline and diethoxymethylphenyl silane. The interaction study was also monitored by using AFM analysis. Amount of pesticide adsorbed on surface was evaluated in terms of the mass and thickness change of quartz crystal which is calculated from frequency and dissipation factor change using Sauerbrey equation. Low value of dissipation factor (∆D) corresponds to stronger binding of pesticide on crystal. The overall results indicates that OTMS modified surfaces contributes mostly to the dissipation changes (∆D) or acoustic ratio (∆D/∆f). This surface shows largest amount of pesticide adsorption for both malathion and phorate which is correlated with the more hydrophobicity of the surface analyzed by contact angle measurements. The adsorbed amount of pesticide increases with increase in hydrophobicity of surface. The diethoxymethylphenyl silane also shows significant interaction as the phenyl group facilitates interaction with sulfur bond of pesticide. Further verification was done using Raman spectroscopy. The interaction study may be utilized further to fabricate sensors for pesticide detection.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the potential of three technologies for the preparation of buttermilk-based emulsions. For that purpose, oil-in-water emulsions were prepared at different buttermilk (5, 7%) and oil (10, 20%) concentrations. The oil phase was formed by a mixture of vegetable oils, chia and sunflower, rich in ω-3, ω-6 and ω-9 fatty acids. In particular, emulsions were prepared by:  1) Air- driven high pressure homogenization (MF) (100 mPa, 3 cycles); 2) Ultrasonication (US) (40% Amplitude, 10 minutes) and 3) Conventional homogenization (CH) (20 MPa) as control. After emulsions preparation, they were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, zeta potential, physical stability, viscosity and rheological behavior. Results showed that the emulsions prepared with MF technology presented mean particle sizes of ~400 nm and zeta potential values of -26 mV. In contrast, the emulsions prepared by US showed mean particles sizes and zeta potential values ranging from 500 to 900 nm and -29 to -33 mV respectively.  In the case of emulsions prepared by CH, the mean particle size ranged from 1 to 4 µm and zeta potential values were of -35 mV. According to the stability analyzer, it can say that the emulsions with the major physical stability in terms of creaming and aggregation/flocculation were the ones prepared by MF and US at 7% of buttermilk and 10% of oils.  Regarding the rheological behavior, it was observed that all emulsions presented a Newtonian behavior except that prepared with 20% of oil by CH, which showed a pseudo-plastic behavior. Last, we would like to remark that the most efficient technique for the preparation of buttermilk-based emulsions at high oil loading is the US technique, since the obtained samples were the most uniform and stable.

Acid whey is the major by-product of Greek strained yoghurt industry. It contains lactose (3.8% w/v), galactose (0.1% w/v), proteins (0.3% w/v) and lactic acid (0.8% w/v). Acid whey has significantly high Biological Oxygen Demand (30,000-35,000 ppm) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (60,000-80,000 ppm) and low pH value (4.5), making its biological treatment in regular sewage systems problematic. Thus, innovative methods of acid whey utilization for the production of high added value components such as galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are under investigation in the last few years. In this direction, lactose crystallization phenomena occurring at high lactose concentrations, necessary for high production yields of GOS, minimize acid whey valorization. In the present study, the effect of acid whey components, i.e. lactic acid, proteins, galactose and minerals (K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), as well as GOS, on water sorption of lactose model systems was investigated. Water sorption on lactose systems, containing lactic acid (0-20% w/w), whey protein (0-20% w/w), galactose (0-10% w/v), minerals (0.0-0.2% w/v) and GOS (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100 lactose to GOS ratio) was monitored for 360 h over saturated salts solutions with water activity (a_w) of 0.11-0.97, at 20-50°C. Glass transition temperature (T_g), crystallization temperature (T_cr) and latent heat of crystallization (ΔH_cr) of lactose in selected model systems were also studied, via Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The addition of lactic acid and minerals affected water sorption isotherms of lactose model systems and the degree of lactose crystallization. Higher lactic acid or minerals content led to higher hygroscopicity of lactose systems and higher lactose crystallization degree. On the contrary, the presence of whey proteins and GOS in lactose model systems showed an inhibitive effect on lactose crystallization, which was more pronounced as the protein content or GOS to lactose ratio increased.

Testing foods in a pre-clinical context poses as a challenge, due to species differences and food preferences, but also because laboratory rodents have specific feeding habits that don´t correlate solely with hunger and satiety.With this study, we aimed to evaluate short and long-term satiety in rats. Twenty-four Wistar rats, females and males, were randomly distributed to 3 equal groups and fed: control diet (Chow; diet containing bread, butter and milk (Standard breakfast); and diet containing beverage, biscuits and cheese (Breakfast kit) for 7 weeks. The first week served as the adaptation period to monitor and record food intake before starting the experimental trials. The experiment phase was conducted using a 1-week interval between trials, so that constant consumption of the different diets wouldn’t interfere in the evaluation of satiety. In experimental days, rats were fasted for 6 hours to ensure a similar level of hunger between groups, and subsequently, all animals received a previously weighted amount of each diet. After 2 hours of access to the diets, standard rat chow diet was re-introduced to all groups, and eating patterns monitored for 16 hours through video system. As analysis of the video, we measured: time until the first meal (after the specific diets); inter-meal intervals (time between meals); meal frequency; meal duration; and snacking events. A meal was defined by food ingestion for a period of over 1 minute. With this analysis, we were able to detect differences between groups, that could be correlated with satiety, such as longer time until first meal in the breakfast kit group. These results will be corroborated with the analysis of short and long term satiety hormones. Overall, this experimental model offers solid tools to be used in the evaluation of diets, not only on satiety but also on eating patterns and behaviour.

Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid (AA) is an essential nutrient used in food industries as antioxidant. It presents some limitations, such as oxidative and reactive features, that can be minimized using the microencapsulation technology. The purpose of this work was to use the stability by thermal cyclization technique to evaluate the shelf life of solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) loaded with AA. SLMs were composed of fully hydrogenated palm oil (FHPO) and palm oil (PO) as wall materials and spray chilling technique was chosen to encapsulate the AA. The proportions of FHPO:PO were varied in different formulations: F1 (80:20), F2 (70:30) and F3 (60:40), respectively. The ratio of wall material and AA was set at 80:20 (w/w). SLMs were submitted to storage at two alternating temperatures (30 and 45 ° C) for 48 hours each cycle. The aim was to simulate possible stress conditions during storage and transport chain. The particles were evaluated by thermal behavior using DSC, polymorphism, AA retention levels and AA retention kinetic modeling. The analyses were performed on days 0, 7, 15, 30 and 45 of storage. At the end of the 45^th days, SLMs presented good AA retention values, ranging from 74.25 to 83.07%. These values were influenced by increases in the PO concentration in each formulation. The use of mathematical models for release kinetics revealed that all the SLMs had controlled release and followed the Higuchi kinetic model (R²= 0.9025, 0.9145 and 0.8950, respectively to F1, F2 and F3). The melting peaks remained stable throughout the storage period therefore there was no significant statistical difference (p≤0.05) among them. Polymorphic analysis revealed β and β' crystals. The β' crystals type was predominant in all the formulations. It is possible to conclude that AA showed good retention and was gradually released in the environment, following Higuchi kinetics.

Cookie is one of the most popular foods consumed globally. Cookie is a great model system for novel food processing operations like three-dimensional (3D) printing due to its complex compositions and easy manipulations. To improve the practicability of 3D food printing, it is vital to understand the shape instability due to post-processing since most of the printed structures are prone to collapse upon thermal processing such as baking, frying, or boiling. This study investigated the geometrical attributes and baking conditions along with the rheological properties of cookie dough. Various kinds of shapes were processed under different baking conditions (time and temperature) designed to encompass the geometric fidelity. The flow and creep-recovery behavior of the cookie dough were well represented by the power-law and Burgers model, respectively. The results demonstrate the relationships between geometry, infill density, and structural deformation due to baking. The results show that in conjunction with the known benefits of compositional optimization of cookie dough recipe, the geometrical properties of 3D printed shapes are vital to their resistance to deformation during the baking. Moreover, baking conditions have an impact on the cookie quality. High-temperature cooking resulted in cracks between the layers. The study asserted that not only the geometrical properties of the designed shapes determine the final quality of the baked constructs, but also the baking conditions alter the appearance and value of the cookies. Hence, it was possible to shape cookie doughs with 3D printing that are resistant to post-processing collapse, which enlightens the 3D printing of future foods.

The use of fruit by-products as non-conventional alternative sources of dietary fiber (DF) is gaining attention. Extrusion processing has been used to efficiently modify the composition and functionality of DF. The effect of this technology in fruit by-products, particularly orange peel, on techno-functional properties has been studied, but further information related to the physiological implications is needed. Orange peel samples subjected to different extrusion conditions (barrel temperature/moisture/screw speed- O1:115°C/41%/150RPM, O2:160°C/41%/200RPM, O3:160°C/24%/150RPM) were studied. Samples were selected from previous work according their soluble:insoluble DF ratio and techno-functional properties. Fecal fermentations using three donors with known caloric intake and fiber consumption were performed to unprocessed (control) and processed samples. Gas and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) production, and pH were determined. Important differences were found among donors related to the SCFA production. Comparing with control, in donor 1 (vegetarian), total SCFA production increased 9.1, 12.3 and 14.7% when fermenting O1, O2 and O3, respectively. In donor 2 (high protein, high fiber consumer) and in donor 3 (high fat consumer) these increments were 14.6,10.1 and 13.8%, and 15.9, 1.3 and -3.6%, correspondingly. In donor 1 and 2, acetate, propionate and butyrate composition slightly changed when comparing control (68:14:17 and 71:19:10) with O3 (66:13:21 and 72:17:11). And for donor 3 this composition changed from 69:15:16 to 73:6:21 when comparing control with O2. Gas and pH production were aligned with the SCFA production in all donors. The results herein suggest that extruded orange peel could be used as good fermentable fiber source, yielding high amounts of SCFA during in vitro fermentation, no matter the diet consumption habits and the resulting differences among the microbiota composition.

Immature rice  is widely consumed in Tanzania in the form of Pepeta, a traditional roasted rice flake. Optimizing pepeta processing conditions to improve its nutritional quality is important as the current processing method is uncontrolled, affecting its full utilization. In this study, immature rice grains of TXD306 variety harvested at different maturity ( 18 and 26 days after 50% heading, DAH) were used to investigate the effect of roasting conditions on starch and protein digestion properties of rice-based products. Pepeta was prepared by roasting at 80, 100 and 120 °C with-and-without soaking rice grains in cold water at room temperature for 12 h before applying a simulated in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion model to assess starch and protein digestibility.  Roasting significantly changed the rate (k) and extent (C_∞) of starch digestion,  positively correlated with roasting temperature. The C_∞ and k values were higher  in rice starch samples compared to flour samples. Protein digestibility shown significant difference among roasted samples at 26 DAH, the highest value  was observed at 100 °C for both maturity.  Soaking before roasting had no effect on the digestibility of starch and proteins. With exception for  gastric protein digestion  at 18 DAH and C_∞ for flour samples at 26 DAH, no interaction effect was observed between soaking and roasting. Thus data from this study suggests that roasting at 100 °C is the optimum temperature to produce pepeta of high quality digestible proteins and low starch digistibility, which have health benefits.

Residual seeds from the raspberry fruit industry contain considerable amounts of α-linolenic acid (ALA) and tocopherols. The composition of raspberry seed oil, including antioxidant content, may vary depending on the extraction method. However, ALA content is an essential factor limiting the shelf life of the oil. Large amounts of health-promoting polyphenols, especially flavonol derivatives and ellagitannins have been found in the leaves of strawberries, exerting strong antioxidant potential. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of spray-dried water phenolic extract from strawberry leaves in inhibiting the oxidation of raspberry seed oils extracted by cold pressing and supercritical CO2. The antioxidant efficiency of strawberry leaf extract was also assessed in raspberry oils stripped of antioxidants and other unsaponifiable substances. The leaf extract and its selected phenolic components were added in an amount of 6 mg/g of oil. The composition of tocopherols, carotenoids and polyphenols in oils, as well as phenolic extracts from strawberry leaves, were examined by the LCMS method. Fatty acids and sterols in oils were determined by GC and GCMS methods, respectively. The stability of oils was evaluated in accelerated oxidation tests by differential scanning calorimetry. The supercritical CO2 process was superior in comparison to the screw press process in terms of yield of α-linolenic acid, tocopherols, carotenoids, phenols and phytosterols. The stability of native supercritical CO2 extracted oil was slightly lower in comparison to the cold pressed one, however the effect of strawberry leaf extract on oxidative stability was similar in both oils. Among strawberry leaf phenolic compounds the strongest antioxidative effect was shown for agrimoniin, especially in supercritical CO2 extracted oil, both native and stripped. Strawberry leaf phenolic extract may serve as a natural additive, which has a beneficial impact on the stability of vegetable oils both rich and poor in native antioxidants.

Cooking vegetables in microwave bags has become a popular domestic cooking. Therefore, it is relevant to know how this emerging cooking method could affect health-promoting phytochemicals of staples such as broccoli. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of microwave-bag cooking vs. traditional microwaving on bioactive compounds content of broccoli florets.

Samples were sent from a minimally processed industry to our lab under refrigerated conditions. Samples were cooked using domestic conditions in a microwave (MW) oven for 5 min, without adding water. Samples were cooked inside their packaging (microwaveable bag) and by traditional MW cooking method. All treatments were performed in triplicate. Broccoli samples were taken before and after cooking and lyophilized.  Glucosinolates (GSL) content  and hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) content were analyzer by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn. 

Cooking inside bag kept total GSL content (28.27 mmol kg^-1); while in conventional MW cooking a significant loss of these compounds was observed (from 30.29 to 22.98 mmol kg^-1). No significant differences were found between GSL profile of fresh and cooked samples by different cooking methods. Significant loss of HCAs content was observed, regardless of cooking method. The losses were 50% compared to fresh broccoli (from 1.57 mmol kg^-1 to 0.78 mmol kg^-1).  

Microwave-bag cooked broccoli kept GSL content compared to traditional microwaving. HCAs content was reduced in microwave cooking, regardless of the cooking method. The use of microwavable bags for microwaving is a novel method that retains GSL, the main bioactive compounds of broccoli. This option is fast, easy and considerable clean cooking option to fulfill modern consumers' needs.

3D printing of food is an upcoming method for preparation of food and has been suggested as a solution for customizing food for events or providing personalized nutrition e.g. to hospital patients. Several commercially available 3D printers specialized for printing food have already been developed. The applied technique is based on extrusion mechanisms with a software interface that allows you to customize the shape of the extruded food base. While many studies deal with the development of the technology and food base, specific evaluation of the food safety aspects are still lacking. If 3D printed food is to be used in hospital settings or sold commercially, e.g. from a catering business, the food safety needs to be evaluated. In some cases the printed food is meant to be heat treated after being printed, e.g. like a pizza, but in most cases the interest is in Ready-to-Eat products. Hygienic design and cleanability are obviously very important to consider during development of a 3D food printer. Specifically for a 3D printer this means, that cartridges and all tubes transporting the food should be accessible for cleaning or one-use only, all electronics shielded off and moveable parts over the food should be minimized and cleanable, since they may introduce both microbiological, chemical and physical hazards. Furthermore, food safety should be incorporated when developing recipes specifically for 3D printing. This may limit the types of food prepared, in particular if the printed food is to be served to vulnerable patients at a hospital or sold commercially. An example of the safety considerations made during the development of a 3D printed Ready-to-eat product will be given.  

Introduction: Changing eating habits indicate that consumers are increasingly interested in health food products, especially when they are visually and organoleptically attractive. Freeze-dried samples are very sensitive for environment and storage conditions (temperature) and package type and conditions. The storage stability of dried products is determined, among others, by their hygroscopic properties, which are associated with the ability to absorb or give off water, which affects the change of water activity and dried structure (porosity and shrinkage). These features determine the durability of food products. It is very important to determinate optimal package type and storage conditions for such samples. 

Methods: Selected vegetable gels with carrot, potato, cauliflower, broccoli, green and yellow beans, green pepper, corn, chives, basil and dill were obtained with sodium alginate, or a mixture of xanthan gum and locust bean gum. After gelation they were frozen (–40°C/2h) and freeze-dried (30°C/63Pa/72h). Samples were packaged in food film, food film in vacuum, food paper, aluminum foil and aluminum foil in vacuum, and stored in 4, 25 and 40°C for 5 months. The physical properties of freeze–dried bars included determination of: porosity, shrinkage, water activity.

Results: Based on experiments and observations, it was shown that the storage temperature and package type are important factors for freeze-dried vegetable gels quality. Temperature storage increase decreased water activity and porosity for samples packed in food foil, food paper, while for aluminum foil results were opposed. The effect of vacuum packaging weren't as significant as was expected.

Food should be included in the group of metastable systems that may change. The rate of these changes depends on the molecular mobility that determines the stability of the food. The issue is particularly important in solid and semi-solid food with low to intermediate water content. In most foods in this category, the interaction between polymer components, water and solutes is a key issue in relation to molecular mobility, diffusion and reaction rates. The physical properties and stability of such a system depend on two variables: composition and temperature. Intermediate and low moisture foods often contain glassy regions consisting of polymer materials (e.g. polysaccharides – guar gum, loctus bean gum) and water. Therefore, the concepts and principles for developing new innovative products should be scientifically supported by testing the state of water using thermoanalytical methods.

The aim of the study was to analyze the state of water in freeze-dried vegetable snacks in the form of a vegetable bar, which is residual waste arising from the production of frozen vegetables and in the ingredients used to make them. TGA and DSC techniques were used to assess the state of water in the tested materials. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out consisting in precise measurement of changes in sample mass as a function of temperature (heating) using the TGA / DSC 3+ analyzer device (Mettler Toledo) and thermal analysis using DSC 3 analyzer (Mettler Toledo). TGA and DSC techniques were used to assess the state of water in the tested materials. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out consisting in precise measurement of changes in sample mass as a function of temperature (heating) using the TGA / DSC 3+ analyzer device and thermal analysis using DSC 3 analyzer (Mettler Toledo). Appointed: volatile components (moisture), decomposition (dehydratation), combustion of formed carbon blanc and glass transition temperature.

Arabinoxylan (AX) is the predominant dietary fiber in wheat and consists of a β-(1,4)-D-xylopyranose backbone that can be un-, mono- or di-substituted with α-L-arabinofuranose residues, which can carry a phenolic acid residue. Part of the wheat flour AX (20-30%) is water-extractable (WE-AX). WE-AX molecules differ in molecular weight and degree of arabinose substitution. The WE-AX structural features determine its physicochemical properties and therefore its overall functionality during product making, but potentially also its health effects. We here used high-resolution ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR) technologies for the structural characterization of heterogeneous WE-AX populations derived from wheat lines with varying WE-AX contents. White flours of Yumai34 and Valoris and two of their offspring lines (YxV027, YxV071) were used for extensive WE-AX characterization. The highest WE-AX content was found in YxV027 (0.93% dm), followed by Valoris (0.74% dm), Yumai34 (0.63% dm), and YxV071 (0.43% dm). WE-AX was isolated and fractionated using graded ethanol precipitation at ethanol concentrations of 30%, 50%, and 65% v/v. The arabinose-to-xylose-ratio of the WE-AX fractions from Yumai34, Valoris, YxV027 and YxV071 increased with increasing ethanol concentrations from 0.34 to 0.62, 0.38 to 0.82, 0.32 to 0.62, and 0.32 to 0.68, respectively. ¹H-NMR indicated that WE-AX precipitating at higher ethanol concentrations had a higher proportion of arabinose di-substitution. ¹H-Diffusion-Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR allowed further elucidating AX structural heterogeneity within each fraction. Molecules precipitating at higher ethanol concentrations exhibited a higher diffusivity than molecules precipitating at lower ethanol concentrations. Within each fraction, structures with a high proportion of di-substitution had slightly lower diffusivities than structures with a high proportion of mono-substitution. The new knowledge on structural heterogeneity of WE-AX in white flour provided by ¹H-DOSY-NMR can enhance the insight in nutritional and technological properties of flour, which depend on wheat genotype, environmental factors, and their interaction.

The human eyes each wavelength of the visible light can see as a distinctive color. Very important for visible light is the three primary colors, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), which is known as the RGB color model. Pixel ranging for three primary colors has from 0 to 255. One of the method for the detection of primary colors is the Smartphone Android-based digital image. As Smartphone for colorimetric detection Huawei P30 lite used. An application named ColorMeter, with an image matching algorithm, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vegetable oil were detected. Total phenolic content was expressed as mg g^-1 gallic acid equivalent and measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method. The aim of the study was to determinate the content of TPC with a smartphone-based camera and an Android operating system. For the data comparison and accuracy spectrophotometer as analytical optical instrument was used. Nine vegetable oils: macadamia nut, milk thistle, sea buckthorn, linseed, rapeseed, grape, sunflower, olive, rice oils were selected for analysis. Results with smartphone show very good coefficient of determination for calibration solution of gallic acid respectively for red color (R)= R² = 0.9954, green color (G)= R² = 0.9934 and blue color (B)=R² = 0.9713. Smartphone is suitable for use in the determination of the total phenolic content in vegetable oils.

The food industry is trying to use natural additives with antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties (AP). The use of agro-food streams like cucumber wastes with AP, allows developing novel functional ingredients contributing to their valorization. In this study, the AP of encapsulated (ECE) and non-encapsulated (non-ECE) cucumber extracts (CE) against Listeria innocua 1.17 and Escherichia coli 1.107 were evaluated. The CE was produced by hydroalcoholic-extraction (70:30 ethanol:water w/w) assisted by ultrasounds (125μm-120s). For the encapsulation process, 1g of lyophilized CE was mixed with 15g of maltodextrin and sprayed into the drying-chamber at 140ºC. The antimicrobial activity of ECE and non-ECE was assessed by determining the reduction in viable-cell counts over time. Moreover, propidium iodide was used to confirm the AP by fluorescence microscopy. Results did not show an inhibitory effect against E.coli due to the resistance of gram-negative microbes to antimicrobials, attributed to the complexity of the two-fold layer structure of the cell envelope of these bacteria. The ECE and non-ECE showed antimicrobial effect against L.innocua and was evaluated fitting the experimental data to a biphasic kinetic model showing good accuracy (R² >0.9997). This model considers different microbial fractions (a) with different inactivation resistance onto the antimicrobial. The most sensitive fraction of the L.innocua population was greater than 90% (0.944 ± 0.024 and 0.913 ± 0.028 for ECE and non-ECE, respectively), reaching up to 2 logarithmic reductions for both ECE and non-ECE. The ECE presented a higher antimicrobial effect with a kinetic constant value (k₁ = 48 h^-1) greater than the non-ECE (k₁= 23 h^-1), which could be due to the possible surface attraction between microorganisms and the encapsulated extracts. These results were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, showing dead-cells after contact with ECE and non-ECE. Our study highlights the potential use of the encapsulated cucumber extracts as a natural antimicrobial in food formulations.

Bitter and sweet taste play important roles in food choice and consumption, and may affect mood (Dubovski, Ert, & Niv, 2017). Sweet molecules with low caloric intake are of great importance for the industry and for humans who suffer from obesity and diabetes. To better understand how different molecules elicit sweet taste sensation, we explored two sugar stereoisomers: D-Glucose and the non-caloric L-GlucoseChirality plays a key role in biomolecular recognition. Change in chirality typically dramatically affects ligand-receptor binding. Yet, it was long known that not only D-Glucose, but also its enantiomer, L-glucose, elicits sweet taste in humans. We confirm this finding and also show that with different concentrations, using human sensory panel, the sweetness of L and D glucose might be perceived slightly different among individuals, but is similar on average. We next show that L-Glucose elicits sweet taste via T1R2/T1R3 receptor. We hypothesize that both stereoisomers dock into the orthosteric binding site in the VFT domain of T1R2. Interestingly, we identify 2 sub-pockets in this binding site. Sucrose uses both subpockets, while glucose can bind in either of these sub-pockets, overlapping with the position one of sucrose monosaccharide units. The propensity of glucose enantiomers towards each of the sub-pockets might differ and will be explored in future studies.

In most developing countries like India, nutrition interventions are connected to children and women, thus avoiding adolescents. In this study, low cost high-energy, nutrient-dense cookies were developed providing 30% RDA requirement of adolescents. Accordingly, underutilized ingredients such as jackfruit seed powder, finger millet powder used as base flour along with butter, whey protein concentrate, icing sugar and butter. The formulation was optimized using linear programming (LP) keeping the cost minimization as the objective function and protein & fat content, moisture content maximum ingredient level and texture as constraints. Vitamin and mineral premix for the developed formulation was designed according to the RDA requirements of adolescents. The developed cookies were packed in sterile LDPE (90 µ) pouches and Aluminium foil (120µ) and were sealed. One batch of packets was stored at ambient conditions (Temperature 24 - 27 ºC; RH: 70– 75%), and another set was stored at accelerated conditions (37 ºC and 90% RH). The samples were withdrawn for every 15 days for a duration of 90 days and analysed for water activity, moisture content, colour, texture, lipid oxidation, vitamin C, Overall acceptability. Developed cookies packed in Aluminium foil under ambient condition showed more effective quality retention and overall acceptability.

Introduction. Depending on microenvironment conditions, proteins and polysaccharides are prone to assemble allowing complex coacervation (CC). Molecular interactions play an important role in the functional properties of biopolymers, therefore, their modulation for product development is of scientific interest. In this work, CC is carried out through the interaction of whey protein isolate (WPI) and kappa carrageenan (KC). Carrageenan is a negative sulphated polysaccharide, which can interact with positively charged compounds, such as WPI, with a positive net charge (pH below its isoelectric point). Recently high intense ultrasound (HIUS) has been used to induce conformational changes in WPI, affecting their functional properties through ultrasonic cavitation. Based on this, the aim of this work was to evaluate HIUS treatment on WPI and its influence on CC functional properties. Methodology. Commercial KC (Ingredion, USA) and WPI (BiPro, USA) were employed, dispersed in distilled water (1% w/w), after 24h, KC (pH 7) was added to WPI (pH 3) dispersion with regular stirring to promote CC. The following HIUS treatments for WPI were applied: Amplitude: 25, 50, 75 and 100%; time: 2 and 4 minutes. Analysis: FTIR-ATR (400-4000 cm-1) was used for physicochemical characterization. Functional properties: Viscosity (2000 1/s, 25 °C), emulsifying (60% water, 20% oil) and foaming (60’’, 11, 000 rpm, 25°C) capacity. Results. Changes on WPI secondary structure (FTIR-ATR, 1600-1700 cm-1) after HIUS were detected, CC electrostatic interaction was found between KC sulphate group, anhydrous oxygen of the 3,6 anhydro-D- galactose and the -OH, -NH WPI groups. CC functional properties: Improvements on: viscosity (20x), foaming capacity (stability (%FS = 90), volume (%VI = 150), expansion (%FE = 250), and emulsion stability (ES=100%, 1.5 month) with respect to the WPI control. Conclusion. HIUS and KC CC play a key role in improving WPI functional properties.

Sheep meat is an underestimated food commodity usually marketed as raw whole or comminuted. Due to its organoleptic properties, sheep meat is generally associated with certain meat preparation techniques, e.g. grilling or roasting. Nevertheless, it can meet the consumer food requirements since it is a highly nutritious food, produced in most cases in an ecological friendly way. The modern way of living requires food commodities that are nutritious, ready to eat and stored easily. Dehydrated meat snacks are rich in protein and can be consumed without further processing. The scope of this study was to investigate sheep jerky as a technique of production of novel, high protein snacks that are easy to produce and store. Stripes of mutton were produced from selected carcasses of animals. Meat stripes were marinated according to a traditional recipe overnight at fridge temperature and dehydrated in a desiccator. Six different desiccation times were examined (3hr, 6hr, 9 hr, 12hr, 24hr and 48hr). The best desiccation time according to texture and storage potential was 9hr, according to water activity (0.885), weight loss (57.87%) and organoleptic properties. In addition the application of a 1% chitosan film was evaluated in order to increase storage time and safety of the product. Jerkies with and without the chitosan film were stored for up to one month during which microbiological (total mesophiles, total psychrophiles, lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus spp.) and chemical properties (aw) according to the appropriate ISO methods. Two groups of stripes were spiked with a cocktail of Listeria monocytogenes and a cocktail of Salmonella Typhimurium strains in order to estimate the pathogen risk of survival and transmission. This research was co‐financed by the European Union Regional Development Fund and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE, code: T1EDK-05479).

Seeds of raspberries are a major by-product of fruit processing and contain up to 10% of oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and antioxidants that may improve the health status of the consumers. Cold-pressing is a widely adopted practice in manufacturing high quality oils but has its limitation in low yield and exposing oil components to oxidation. Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) oil extraction is an attractive alternative due to better oil recuperation from residue, mild operating conditions, that can minimize oxidative oil deterioration. The aim of this study was to compare chemical composition and chemopreventive activity of raspberry oil recover by cold-pressing (RCP) and sCO2 extraction (RsCO2). The composition of fatty acids and phytosterols was determined by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. For tocopherols and carotenoids determination, oil samples were saponified and the unsaponifiable fraction was analysed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC). Phenolic compounds were first extracted by SPE and then separated by UHPLC-MS. Oils emulsions were examined for cell cytotoxicity (MTT test), redox state (DCF-DA and Griess assay), and DNA damage (halo assay) on human dermal fibroblast (NHDF), human breast adenocarcinoma, colon adenoracinoma and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. RsCO2 oil was characterized by richer chemical composition than RCP and ratio of bioactive compounds recovery was from 3 (PUFA, phytosterols, tocopherols, carotenoids) to 6 (phenolic compounds) fold better than in RCP. Studied oil showed no cytotoxic effect on NHDF. A concentration-dependent positive impact of 2-10% oil emulsions on culture lines was shown, and RsCo2 exerted stronger chemopreventive activity (the increase of tumor cell cytotoxicity was 20-80% in colorectal cancer cells and 30-60% in breast cancer cells, this effect was even stronger in doxorubicin-resistant corresponding cell lines). Our results indicate that sCo2 extraction is more effective in raspberry oil recovery and highlight is usefulness in oil production for medical purpose.

Today the demand is increasing for protein-dense lactose- and milk protein-free products.  The aim of our study is the development of a tasty and protein-rich dairy replacement products based on egg white.

The plain (unflavcored) product is made from egg white due to heat treatment and enzymatic reactions.

After cooling the product, different flavorings were used (blueberry, cranberry  and strawberry pulps) with different sweeteners (sugar, stevia). The products were re-heat treated to guarantee  appropriate shelf-life. The products were stored for 28 days at refrigerated temeperature (4 - 6 °C). The sensorial attrbitues (smell, taste, colour, overall quality) were tested by trained panelistst. Microbial cell count were invetsigateds (mesophyllic aerob cell count, Salmonella and Enterobacteraceae). 

Our results show that flavoring with acidic fruit pulps like cramberry provide better sensorial quality, because the lack of lactic acid provides a not sour enough taste and smell. Colour of products is brighter and the taste is plesent, if more acidic fruit's pulps are used.

In microbiological aspects more acidic fruits pulps decreased the pH of the samples which led to a lower mesophillic cell count in the products.

Summerizijng our results, a replacement product to dairy products (like yogurt and sour creame) was developed from egg white with different fruit flavorings. According to sensorial tests, this  products are similar in sensorial atributes of dairy products. These products are going to be a proper alternative to dairy products for people with lactose and milk protein intolerance. 

Our resarch is sponsored by the project VEKOP-2.1.1-15-2016-00149 we are very thankful for that.

Astaxanthin (AX) is a red xanthophyll carotenoid found mainly in algae (notably Haematococcus Pluvialis microalga) and marine animals. AX is a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E and β–carotene, but has very low oral bioavailability. The purpose of this study was to develop a potato protein (PP)-based delivery system for increasing oral bioavailability of lipophilic bioactives (nutraceuticals and drugs), using AX as a model, and to evaluate the system in vitro, and in vivo- in a cross-over clinical study in human volunteers. 

Three different formulations were prepared, encapsulating AX oleoresin (AXO) with: (1) PP only, (2) PP+lecithin (LEC), (3) PP+olive oil (OO). The average particle diameters after preparation were 0.29, 0.29 and 1.76 µm, while after freeze-drying and reconstitution: 0.17, 0.07 and 6.93 µm, respectively. In-vitro bioaccessibilities were 33, 47 and 69%, respectively, vs. 16% only for the raw AXO. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in human subjects, the PP-OO-AX formulation, resulted in a 4.8-fold higher median plasma AX AUC (P<0.001) compared to the raw AXO formulation. In conclusion, a non-allergenic, vegan, PP-based delivery system made of “all natural Ingredients” offers great promise for increasing oral bioavailability of lipophilic bioactives such as AX, for the enrichment of food and for dietary supplements, or for oral delivery of lipophilic drugs. 

Colostrum is the initial milk secreted by mammals following parturition, and is routinely excluded from milk processing due to its very different composition and characteristics which negatively affects processing efficiency. However, colostrum presents high content of antimicrobial components (i.e. up to 10% immunoglobulins). The aim of this study was to evaluate the shelf life of fresh cheese made with milk containing 0, 1, 5 and 10% of colostrum. These cheeses were produced from pasteurized milk (63 ºC for 30 min), stored at 4 ºC for 21 days, and total plate (TPC) and coliform counts (CT) were assessed every 7 days, using Petrifilm® plates, which were incubated at 31 ºC for 48 and 24 h, respectively. At day 1, the TPC and TC in control cheese were 4.63 and 3.35 log cfu/g, respectively. As colostrum presence was increased in milk, it resulted in a decreased microbial counts in cheeses (i.e. 10% colostrum, 3,94 and 1,20 log cfu/g for TPC and TC, respectively). During the 21 days of storage, the microbial counts were increasing, however the TPC and TC were always lower in cheeses with colostrum presence when compared to control cheese. If we establish the maximum level of acceptance of TPC in fresh cheese in 6 log cfc/g, the shelf life of fresh control cheese without colostrum was between 7 (5.86 log cfu/g) and 14 days (7.62 log cfu/g), while fresh cheese milk made with 10% colostrum was placed in 14 days (6.10 log cfu/g). In conclusion, the presence of ≥5% colostrum in cheese milk results in fresh cheeses with better microbiological quality and shelf life than those free of colostrum.

Patricia Ramírez¹, Estefanía González², Diego Tapia³, Javier Paredes³, Cristina Vergara⁴, Paz Robert¹ and Begoña Giménez³

¹Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

² Escuela de Salud, Universidad de O’Higgins, Rancagua, Chile

³ Facultad Tecnológica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile

⁴ Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA La Platina, Santiago, Chile

Organogelation is one of the most novel and promising techniques for edible oil structuring. Organogels have been widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic area as drug delivery matrices, but their application in food matrices is scarce. These systems may be a promising option for the fat replacing in food matrices and controlled delivery of lipophilic bioactive molecules in the small intestine. In this study, flaxseed oil based organogels with curcumin, the active principle of turmeric, were designed for replacement of pork backfat in spreadable meat systems type pâté. Optimal curcumin (0.54%) and beeswax (9.12%) concentrations in the organogel were determined according to a central composite + start design. The mechanical strength and oil binding capacity of the organogels obtained under optimal conditions were 19.5 ± 0.84 N (similar to that obtained for pork backfat) and 91.4 ± 1.5%, respectively. The incorporation of curcumin in the lipid matrix significantly increased the oxidative stability of the flaxseed organogel evaluated by rancimat (protection factor 2.24 h), as well as prevented the formation of both peroxide and malonaldehyde under accelerated oxidation conditions. However, the incorporation of curcumin did not have any effect on the mechanical properties, oil binding capacity or rheological behavior of the organogels. The spreadable meat systems type pâté with partial or total replacement of pork backfat by beeswax oranogels with curcumin showed the highest oxidative stability evaluated by the formation of malonaldehyde during chilled storage when compared with the control (meat system prepared with 100% pork backfat).

In this study we have chosen whey protein isolate (WPI) : chitosan (CHI) electrostatic complexes as the biopolymer basis for the formation of the ternary complexes: WPI-CHI-biologically active lipids at pH 5.1 and ionic strength of the acetate buffer = 0.001M.  WPI sample was Unflavored BiPro (USA: lactose-free, 0 g fat, 0 g carbohydrate, Сa²⁺ 0.045g/100g, Mg²⁺ 0.008g/100g). CHI (M_w = 50 -190 kDa, deacetylation > 75%) was purchased from Sigma (USA). Biologically active lipids were the soy phosphatidylcholine (PC: Lipoid S-100: 59% of omega-6 linoleic acid (LA), Germany) liposomes loaded with a pure omega-3 a-linolenic acid (ALA: Sigma, USA, 99%) to an equimass ratio with LA. In this work we have focused on the effect of the WPI : CHI weight ratio (R_WPI:CHI) in the ternary complexes [WPI-CHI-(PC-ALA)] on the complex functionality.  R_WPI:CHI varied in the following range: 1:1; 2.9:1; 6.8:1; 8.8 :1. Concentrations of both CHI and lipids were kept constant and equaleed to 0.25 % w/v and (PC (0.156 % w/v) + ALA (0.088% w/v)), respectively. At the same time the weight ratio of the biopolymers to the (PC-ALA) liposomes altered in the following range (2:1; 4:1; 8:1; 10:1) in the ternary complexes. The studied functional properties are the following: encapsulating efficacy; the protective ability with respect to the oxidation of the lipids; foaming and emulsifying capacities. The main relationships have been elucidated between the functionality of the ternary complexes and their both structural and thermodynamic parameters. To tackle this task the following main methods have been used: multiangle laser light scattering in the static and dynamic modes, zeta-potential measurements, and tensiometry. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry has been used to characterize the conformational state of the WPI globular proteins in their both binary (protein-chitosan, protein-lipids) and ternary (protein- -chitosan- lipids) complex particles.

This work presents the structural and thermodynamic analysis of the foaming abilities of the complex of the major milk protein (sodium caseinate) with liposomes of phosphatidylcholine (PC) loaded with fish oil (FO) in the presence or absence of the essential oil of clove bud (EOC). A water-soluble complex has formed spontaneously between sodium caseinate and preliminary prepared by sequential homogenization (both mechanical and ultrasound) followed by the extrusion (through the membrane filter with a diameter of pores of 100 nm) PC liposomes loaded with FO under mixing of their solutions. This mixing has been performed at 40 ⁰C in the shaker-incubator for 1 hour. Structural (molar mass, size, architecture, density, zeta-potential) and thermodynamic (the osmotic second virial coefficient reflecting the thermodynamic affinity for aqueous medium) parameters of the supramolecular complexes have been characterized by a laser light scattering method in static, dynamic and electrophoretic modes. The foaming ability of the supramolecular complexes has been determined by the following both properties and parameters of the foams: (1) the overrun; (2) the velocity of foaming of the same volume of the sample solutions at a constant rate of the air supply (a bubbling method); (3) the velocity of the drainage of aqueous medium from the foams and (4) the foam half-life time. A comparison has been carried out in this study of foaming abilities of the formed supramolecular complex and its individual components, namely sodium caseinate and the PC liposomes loaded with FO in the presence or absence of the EOC. The major roles in the foaming ability have been elucidated of both the degree of protein association in the complexes and the thermodynamic affinity of the complexes for aqueous medium.

Structuring of a liquid oil by a gelling agent, resulting in the formation of a three-dimensional gel network  and make it behave like a solid crystalline fat or hydrogenated oils, without causing significant changes in the chemical composition. Such novel strategy could be used to reduce the amount of saturated fats in food. Thus, the objective of this work was to investigate the possibility of encapsulating iron in the emulsified rapeesed oleogels, structured with various beeswax and carnauba wax concentrations and evaluate the properties of the systems obtained. Rapeesed oil oleogels were prepared with different beeswax or carnauba wax concentrations (3 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15%). The aqueous phase (containing 0.24 g/100 g Fe₂(SO₄)₃) was dispersed in the oil phase at a ratio 20:80, homogenised and chilled very quickly. The physical-chemical properties of emulsified oleogels were evaluated by oil loss, colour characteristics, rheological, textural and thermal analysis as well as iron encpsulation efficiency. The intensity of oxidation in the samples was monitored by determining the peroxide value. It was obtained that oleogels with the highest carnauba wax and beeswax concentration yielded the highest stability (7.35 – 8.84 % oil released), the highest hardness values (14.18 – 29.63 N) as well as the highest iron encapsulation efficiency (100 %). Wax concentration increase was accompanied by an increase in L* and decrease in a* and b* values. It was also observed that oleogels structured with beeswax were characterized by lower oil loss, higher hardness values and higher oxidative stability, compared to those containing carnauba wax. It could be concluded that such emulsified oleogels had potential to be used for the iron encapsulation as well as a substitute of animal fat in food products.

The Great Tonle Sap Lake plays an important role in the food and nutrition security of local communities in Cambodia. Freshwater fishes are abundant and appreciated by the local population. During the two last decades, fish stocks have greatly decreased in quantity and diversity because of overexploitation of fish resources and pollution linked to human activities. The aim of our research was to assess the nutritional quality and contaminants of ten freshwater fish species consumed by the community living near the Lake.

The fish species currently consumed by the local population were identified by a food consumption survey and most important issues in terms of quality were recorded based on consumer perception. Representative samples of fish most consumed were sampled to analyze their nutritional profiles (AOAC methods) and heavy metals (ICP MS).

According to the survey, most people have included freshwater fishes in their everyday meals (100g-200g/day/person). The lipid contents ranged from 1.4% to 10.0% and some species were rich in ω-3 and ω-6, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Vitamin A contents of small fishes were ten-fold higher than in fillet of big fishes as for iron and zinc contents but to a lower extent. Mn, As and Pb were over the maximum permissible levels in several fishes. Nutritional indices taking into account positive and negative nutrients were calculated with the SAIN and LIM scores. Fishes were classified in food recommended for health but when heavy metals were integrated, some fishes were ranked in the group to limit.

The current data indicate that the Tonle Sap ecosystem plays an important role in nutrition security for local communities but great care should be given to the lake ecosystem to be sure that fish will be available and safe for future generations.

Introduction: Prevalence of diabetes is increasing in middle-income countries at present. Hence, it is a risk to consume sugar incorporated desserts after the main meal. Blood glucose responses can be controlled by the incorporation of tropical herbs and spices. In this study; two different types of dairy yoghurts were prepared using cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) oleoresin and Turmeric (Curcuma longa) oleoresin in aim to suppress their glycemic impact. Method: This study mainly compared the glycaemic responses of a control yoghurt (typical dairy yoghurt without spices) against two novel yoghurt products with added spices (Cinnamon and Turmeric respectively) using 16 healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study. Blood glucose concentration was measured at fasting state and 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min following the ingestion using the PRODIGY Blood Glucose monitoring system (US, F.D.A. approved). Glucose response curves were plotted for individuals. Furthermore; shelf life, nutritional and, physiochemical properties of newly formulated products were determined. Results: All the tested microbiological, physiochemical, and nutritional parameters for developed yoghurts were within the acceptable range according to SLS requirements. The significant reduction compared to standard dairy yoghurt were observed in peak glucose concentration and area under the curve (p<0.05) for both novel products. Peak reductions of glucose concentration for cinnamon yoghurt – 9.61%, for turmeric yoghurt – 9.26%; were considerably lower compared to the control. Mean peak glucose concentration for the control, cinnamon yoghurt and turmeric yoghurt were 113.38±6.39, 102.50±6.00, 102.88±5.38 mg/dL respectively. Mean area under curves were 11951±523, 11012±611, 10941±530 ((mg/dL)*min). Peaking times of glucose response curves were similar for all (30 min.). Conclusion: Significant reductions in glycaemic impact were observed for newly developed cinnamon and turmeric oleoresin incorporated yoghurt products. Cinnamon and turmeric are proven to be excellent sources in reducing postprandial blood glucose levels.

The objective of this study is to carry out a diagnosis of the living and working conditions of workers on two coca plantations of one company. The aim is to identify different factors that are inducing the exodus of the workforce from the cocoa production areas towards the cities and thus to understand the difference of the underlying social mechanisms present at the two locations studied: Necoclí and Casanare. All data were collected during 3 weeks of fieldwork with 10 interviewers. The diagnosis leads to recommendations to secure the presence of a well-trained workforce and hence ensure the production of high-quality fine cocoa. The recommendations were produced by both collecting and verifying themes/hypotheses by conducting interviews and subsequently collecting both qualitative, but also quantitative data. Data processing using a quantitative approach enables us to interpret the results regarding different themes ranging from the study of work contexts, new mechanisms; understand and document the mechanisms in the two sites; explanation of the parameters that underlay these mechanisms; proposing and exploring the links between the different results obtained during interviews. This work leads to the understanding of the basic mechanisms, of the factors that induce the exodus of young people from the fields. One of the key outcomes of the study is that it can be seen that creation of a climate of trust by taking an interest in the life of the employees outside of work and participating in their home farming. An important recommendation supported by this study is to promote a communication and awareness campaign about the profession of coca plantations workers and cocoa-growing and chocolate-making business, especially amongst young people.

Cocoa butter (CB) is an essential ingredient of chocolate and has a direct influence on the consumer relevant characteristics of this globally consumed product. The crystallization properties of CB influence the tempering process, a necessary step in the production of quality chocolate. The composition and hence the hardness of CB can vary considerably depending on the geographic origin, particularly with the environmental temperature at the time of maturation of the beans. Additionally, aroma compounds such as they exist in fine cacao (eg. Colombia) can influence crystallization behavior. Besides, CB composition can influence the delivery of those aroma compounds in terms.  Mastery of crystallization behavior is key for the process of tempering, which is necessary for high-quality chocolate. We study the influence of the environmental temperature at the time of maturation of the beans on the crystallization of CB. We compare CB from three distinct locations in Ivory Coast, Peru, and Colombia with commercial-grade CB. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction were used to monitor and compare the crystallization behaviors of known origins obtained after different thermal treatments. The results show a notable physicochemical difference between the different CBs. Notably, they differ in their final melting points but we can follow different melting behavior indicating differences in composition. We were able to compare composition data with physicochemical properties. The findings encourage further experimentation with the knowledge of the CB agronomic practices, which are perfectly identifiable, to understand precisely the influence of these agronomic parameters on the crystallization of CB.

Lipids are self-assembling molecules, responsible for compartment formation in living cells. Besides real crystals and bilayers, they also form mesophases thanks to their aptitude to modulate interface curvature. Lipid-based structures used in food systems. The characterization of the structure of such systems is complex and often requires the use of combined techniques for apprehending lipid multiphase systems before applying their properties. This study uses DSC/SWAXS for the monitoring nucleation and phase transitions lipids in emulsion

Droplet size, dilution, and complexity prevent any direct identification of the crystalline varieties formed by triacylglycerols inside emulsion droplets. Our research focuses on the structural properties of lipids at a nanometer scale. Triacylglycerols (TAGs), the main constituents of natural fats and oils, exhibit a complex monotropic polymorphism that frequently forecloses the study of thermal and structural properties. Naturally, lipid structures self-organize into complex structures whose periodicity spans from a few nanometers up to hundreds of nanometers. We use small and wide-angle x-ray scattering coupled with DSC to study the initial phase transition of emulsified cocoa butter. The initiation phase is sensitive to interface curvature, composition, and cooling rate. In return, this means that all those parameters can be analyzed to a reference. Emulsifiers mainly present at the emulsion interface are also showing bulk properties if they occur in higher concentrations. In conclusion, the molecular structure of lipids, which can dominate the “macroscopic” properties such as rheology, flavor perception, or drug release, can be monitored. The study of lipid phase behavior will be further strengthened due to the coupling of structural techniques at high brilliance synchrotron radiation workbenches with conventional analytical techniques (such as DSC). Then structure/functionality relationships for soft condensed matter especially in multi-component systems can be established in real systems and under processing conditions using DSC/SWAXS.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) refer to any beverage with added sugar or other sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fruit juice concentrates, and more). SSB are the primary source of added sugars in Spanish and considering other countries diets (All the type of added sugars are free sugars, their overconsumption is associated with grater energy intake, higher body weight, and lower intake of essential nutrients as well as an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS) (insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases like hypertension). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% (and, ideally, less than 5%) of total daily energy intake. This review has been using the American Association for Cancer Research, Elsevier, Pubmed and Scopus data base of the UAB. In this systematic review it would examine the different definitions of sugar (free, added, total sugar), and their intakes recommendation according to the different governmental organizations. Moreover, the sugar intake, mainly focused on beverage sources and the sugar contents in a portion of different SSBs stablished by a market research to analyze if their sugar content and their consumption fulfillment with WHO recommendations. Furthermore, a search for clinical and observation studies focuses on linking SSB intake and the prevalence of diseases like obesity, MetS, T2DM, and hypertension. Several studies demonstrated a controversial relationship between SSB consumption, obesity, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes/type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In spite of the accurate sugars intake recommendation of the different governmental organization, SSB consumption causes an overconsumption of free sugars. Consideration of these health outcomes suggest that the emphasis for intake monitoring, public health guidance, and consumer communication should be the key pillars to reduce of SSB consumption.

Germination represents a sustainable and economic technological approach to improve nutritional and health promoting-properties of grains. In recent years, the development of flours from germinated cereals as an alternative of conventional flours has attracted a great deal of attention, but oat has been scarcely exploited for these purposes. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of germination conditions on nutritional and bioactive features, as well as on enzymatic activities related with quality in gluten-free flours obtained from hulled and dehulled oat varieties. Germination temperatures and times in the range of 12-20 ºC and 24-216 h, respectively, were considered in the study. Germination increased free phenolics content (1.6-2.8 fold) and antioxidant activity (1.4-4.5 fold) in oat flours, particularly at high temperatures and longer times, but the changes depended on the oat variety. Higher protein hydrolysis and α-amylase activity was also observed in germinated oat flours compared to their non-sprouted counterparts. β-glucan content was retained at short germination times (24-96 h) but it was reduced (47-64%) beyond this period of time. Lipase activity increased during germination in the hulled oat variety and declined in the dehulled one. Multi-response optimization allowed to identify the most suitable germination conditions for obtaining high quality germinated oat flours that were16 ºC-216 h and 18 ºC-120 h for hulled and dehulled varieties, respectively. Germinated oat flours are in line with current consumers demands towards healthier plant-based foods and they might be a source of innovation for food industry

This study was funded by MINECO/FEDER, grant number AGL2015-67598-R and CSIC intramural project grant number 201870I097

Provolone Valpadana PDO is a semi-hard “pasta filata” cheese produced by raw whole cow's milk. Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin. During transport, the cold chain must be maintained and the milk temperature must not exceed 10°C. On arrival at the dairy farm, milk must be quickly cooled to not more than 6°C and kept at that temperature until processed.

However, according to the Provolone Valpadana PDO Consortium, an increase in the storage temperature up to 12°C could be helpful in maintaining, in raw milk, a total microbial community useful for the development of lactic flora, which are desirable in an acid-rennet processing, such as that of Provolone Valpadana. 

Therefore, in this work (part of Italian Ministry Project TEMPRO), the traditional cheese-making of Provolone Valpadana PDO (type “piccante”) was modified by increasing the storage milk temperature at 12°C, instead of 6°C, until the cheese making, and the effects on the nutritional characteristics of both traditional and modified Provolone Valpadana were evaluated. Different Provolone Valpadana cheeses at various ripening stages (10, 30 and 60 days) were also studied. Two indexes based on the unsaponifiable fraction, such as the Degree of Retinol Isomerization (DRI) and the Degree of Antioxidant Protection (DAP) were studied. DRI is a useful index for the evaluation of milk heat treatment and/or milk microbiological quality, and it could be useful in a more precise evaluation of vitamin A activity, while DAP is used in the assessment of the potential oxidative stability of foods. Since variations in the cheese-making process may result in chemical and/or physical modifications of cheese, greatly influencing its structure and texture, the percentages of soluble calcium and soluble phosphorus, as well as the protein digestibility were also evaluated.

Saffron (Crocus sativus, L.) is a small herbaceous plant belonging to the Iridaceae family, characterized by typical organoleptic properties, such as red colour, intense aroma and strong taste. These characteristics are due to its chemical composition, since saffron contains carotenoids (especially crocins) which give it colour, picrocrocin, responsible for its bitter taste, and safranal, the most important component of saffron aroma. 

The presence of all these biologically active compounds makes saffron a valid ally in the treatment and prevention of various diseases, such as metabolic disorders, premenstrual syndrome, depression, anxiety and insomnia, cardiovascular disorders and some types of carcinoma. For this reason, the intake of saffron, notably through the addition of this spice to foods, should be encouraged.

Saffron is often used in the dairy industry, as spice added during the cheese-making, but these kind of cheeses represent only a niche production and are still little known. In this work different cheeses, from ewe and cow milk, to which saffron was added during the cheese-making, were characterized for their content in crocins, picrocrocin and safranal. A methanol:water solution (MeOH:H2O 80:20, v/v) was used to extract saffron compounds from the cheese and the most abundant components in the cheese extracts were crocins, in particular crocetin di(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester (trans-4-GG). Picrocrocin was not detected in the cheese samples, while safranal was detected in only one ewe milk cheese extract: this was probably due to the lost of these heat sensitive molecules during the cheese-making.

The saffron bioactive molecules, both as standard solutions and as cheese extracts, were also tested to evaluate their antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29).

Sprouted moringa flour constitutes an interesting ingredient to enrich food products due to its high nutritional value and bioactive potential. Five fettuccini formulations containing 5% (5SMF), 10% (10SMF), 15% (15SMF), 20% (20SMF), and 30% (30SMF) of sprouted moringa flour (SMF) were produced with the aim to improve the nutritional quality and healthy attributes of conventional pasta. An enhancement of protein (1.1-1.3 fold), lipids (4-31 fold), fiber (1.6-21 fold) and mineral (1.6-5.6 fold) content was found in fettuccini as the SMF amount increased, while carbohydrates were significantly reduced. SMF-enriched fettuccini also showed higher levels of thiamine (1.1-1.4 fold), riboflavin (1.3-1.6 fold), g- aminobutyric acid (2.8-12 fold), phenolic compounds (1.1-1.7 fold), glucosinolates (up to 2.5 fold) and antioxidant activity (1.7-2.1 fold) than control pasta. Sensory properties of pasta were not significantly affected by addition of SMF up to 10%, but higher amounts had a negative effect. 20SMF and 30SMF formulations showed the highest nutritional value and levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, but presented the lowest sensory scores. In conclusion, pasta fortification with SMF up to 10% represents an innovative strategy to improve the nutritional quality and bioactive properties without compromising consumer acceptance. These results open great opportunities to valorise SMF as ingredient for the production of novel functional foods.

Acknowledgments:  This study was funded by MINECO/FEDER, grant number AGL2015-67598-R, AEI/FEDER, UE grant number AGL2017-83718-R and CSIC intramural project grant number 201870I097.

Introduction: Non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum (NP-Cb) is a psychrotrophic and spore-forming bacteria. Several procedures have been recommended to ensure the safety of refrigerated processed foods with respect to NP-Cb; however, for new recipe or clean-label products, there is a need to evaluate the margin of safety.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of NP-Cb during the shelf life of Gnocchi made with steam-cooked, potato puree (water added to potato flakes), and reconstituted potatoes as main ingredients. 

Methods: Three batches (20 packages of 450 g each per batch) of pre-pasteurized Gnocchi packed in modified atmosphere (30% CO₂, 70% N₂ and <2% O₂) were provided by a local manufacturer. No preservative is included in the recipe. The trays were aseptically opened and Gnocchi, 5–6 g pieces, were individually inoculated by syringing with a spore suspension of two NP-Cb strains (ATCC 17786 and CNRB 666). Control products were inoculated with sterile solution. The trays were repackaged, stored at 12 °C for 70 days and analyzed for Clostridia enumeration (ISO 15213-2003) (contaminated samples), Total Mesophilic Bacteria (TMB) enumeration (ISO 4833-2003), pH and a_w (control samples) at 0, 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70 days.

Results: At time 0, the average values of pH and a_w in Gnocchi were 5.58 ± 0.04 and 0.987 ± 0.002 respectively, and no changes (P>0.05) were observed at 70 days. While the TMB counts increased from 2.2 ± 0.35 to 5.62 ± 0.79 Log CFU/g. In all tested batches, the concentration of NP-Cb decreased from 3.49 ± 0.11 to 2.94 ± 0.48 (Batch 1), from 3.38 ± 0.07 to 3.22 ± 0.19 (Batch 2) and from 2.59 ± 0.08 to 2.41 ± 0.02 (Batch 3) Log CFU/g. 

Significance: This study may increase the knowledge about the safety of clean-label products with respect to NP-Cb.

Introduction: Proteolytic (Cb) and Non-proteolytic (NP-Cb) Clostridium botulinum are anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria, which can contaminate meat and meat products. Nitrites are conventional additives, however, the increasing consumer demand of “clean label” products has driven the food industry to study alternative to the use of conventional additives.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth potential of Cb and NP-Cb during the shelf life of nitrite-free cooked ham. 

Methods: Two different challenge tests were performed for each pathogen following the guideline ISO 20976-1 (2019). For each study: three batches of minced meat (20 kg for each batch) were divided in a) Meat (M), b) Meat with basic curing solution (1.9% of salt and aromas) (MBS) and c) Meat with standard curing solution with Sodium Nitrite (0.015 %) and Sodium Ascorbate (0.03 %) (MNA). Each group was separately inoculated with 1 % v/w of spore suspension. Samples (100 g of under-vacuum-packed meat) were cooked at 75°C for 20 minutes, rapidly cooled and then stored at 12°C for 6 weeks. Positive controls in broth were prepared to verify the spore-outgrowth of tested strains.

Results: Significant differences (p<0.05) of a_w values were observed before the cooking: 0.995±0.002 in M and 0.980±0.004 in MBS and MNA) while no differences were detected for pH values. Only the samples of M showed a growth potential higher than 0.5 Log CFU/g. The growth potential of Cb was 1.89, -0.6 and -1.92 Log CFU/g in M, MBS and MNA respectively, while that of NP-Cb was 1.61, -0.09 and -0.05 Log CFU/g in M, MBS and MNA respectively. 

Significance: The nitrite-free products may thins the margin of food safety, is the system ready for new challenge? This study may provide useful information to support both Food Business Operators and Regional or National Veterinary Authority. 

India continues to suffer from ‘alarming’ acute under-nutrition among children regardless of outstanding economic growth. It is imperative to provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to combat the situation. Therefore the present research has been undertaken to develop a protein and calorie rich biscuit using indigenous raw materials. 

Specific combination of multiple nutritionally enriched raw materials comprising Amaranth grain (Amaranthus hybridus) flour in popped form, RiceBean (Vigna umbellata) flour in malted form and Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbitaceae maxima) powder was optimized by using Design Expert 10.0.1 Statistical Software. Box-Behnken design was chosen and seventeen experiments were designed based on hypotheses that the responses of product are functionally related to specific composition. All combinations were worked out and based on results of responses (energy, protein, iron content, overall acceptability and spread factor) one combination was statistically optimized. Further the optimized biscuits were analyzed for various nutritional, sensory, physical and textural parameters. AOAC (1995) methods and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy were implied for nutritional analysis. Biscuits were found to be rich in protein, fat and energy content with a value of 17.92g, 19.32g and 470.81kcal per 100g biscuit respectively. Ash and crude fiber content was observed to be 2.52g and 0.61g respectively. Biscuits depicted a high mineral content with 132.36mg calcium, 7.62mg iron, 412.66mg phosphorous and 2.28mg of zinc content. 

TA HD plus texture analyzer was used to assess the hardness of biscuit which was found out to be 22.205 N. Good overall acceptability was observed in terms of organoleptic analysis. Total dietary fiber was found out to be 6.97g comprised of insoluble dietary fiber (72.89%) and soluble dietary fiber (27.11%). Results showcase that the resultant biscuits are evident to be protein and energy dense, gluten-free as well packed with the benefits of essential micro-nutrients and can prove to be beneficial for under-nourished children with or without celiac disease. 

“Preservative-free’’ foods interest has stimulated growth of processed meats manufactured without sodium nitrite. Traditionally, Salami made by pork meat and fat, is produced with sodium nitrite. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the behavior of C. botulinum, Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes during the process of Milano Salami made with or without sodium nitrite. Two batches of Salami dough, with (A) or without (B) sodium nitrite, were inoculated separately with C. botulinum spores, Salmonella spp., L. monocyogenes and with physiological solution. During the process, in control samples, temperature was monitored and sodium nitrite concentration, pH, aw, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count were evaluated. Pathogens concentration was counted in the inoculated salami. Microbiological, chemical-physical analyses were performed following ISO methods. Results were expressed as mean and standard deviation, the bacterial counts converted as Log of colony forming units. 

Process: fermentation 22°C to 20°C in 72 h, seasoning at 13°C for 55 days. Sodium nitrite was present in A (93±1.17 ppm), not detected in B. For both A e B the pH dropped in three days, in A reached 5.39±0.01 and in B 5.92±0.13 at the end of seasoning; aw decreasing rate, from 0.975±0.005 to 0.884±0.002, was similar (p<0.05); Lab count started from »6.5Log CFU/g and increased by 2 log in three days then remained constant. Batch A pathogen net reduction: C. botulinum 2.71 log spore/g, Salmonella spp. 4.85 log CFU/g and L. monocytogenes 4.22 log CFU/g.; batch B: C. botulinum 2.89 log CFU/g, Salmonella spp. 4.45 log CFU/g and L. monocytogenes 1.86 log CFU/g. In Salami Milano the presence of sodium nitrite contributes to generate an environment in which the reduction of L. monocytogenes is higher, while it seems irrelevant for C. botulinum and Salmonella spp.  

Food waste of perishable products – although still in a good condition – occurs often due to a lack of information concerning the real-time remaining shelf life at different supply chain levels. Predictive modelling can be used to implement dynamic shelf life and therefore can lead to an improved sustainability of the supply chain by increasing food quality, food safety and resource efficiency.

The aim of the study was the development of a dynamic shelf life criterion for raw pork sausages based on predictive microbiology. For this purpose, storage tests of 289 MA-packed samples were conducted under constant and dynamic temperature conditions. The development of the total viable count and the growth of typical spoilage microorganisms (Lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, Brochothrix thermosphacta, yeasts and moulds) was investigated. Additionally, physicochemical parameters such as gas composition, pH-value, aw-value, meat color and texture profile and an analysis of sensory parameters were determined to characterize the quality loss. Based on the growth of Lactic acid bacteria as the identified specific spoilage organism, the shelf life model was developed using the modified Gompertz model and the Arrhenius model. The temperature effect on the bacterial growth rate was calculated as the activation energy E_A. Primary and secondary models were combined to predict shelf life under dynamic temperature conditions. Additionally, the investigation of physicochemical parameters showed a high correlation between microbial growth and sensory index, color value, texture and oxygen level dependent on individual storage temperatures. The predictive model for raw pork sausage allows the application of a dynamic shelf life along the entire supply chain. Combined with digitalized temperature monitoring and data exchange systems, additional information can be provided to involved stakeholders. Furthermore, dynamic shelf life enables the implementation of dynamic pricing, the optimization of resource efficiency in logistic processes and the prevention of food waste.

The legume species Lupinus mutabilis (tarwi), traditionally cultivated in the Andes, occupying one of the first places among native foods with high content of proteins and oils worldwide. However, the grain requires a previous treatment for its consumption, being necessary to eliminate the anti nutritional substances, one of them quinolizine alkaloids (lupanin, spartein, 13-hydroxychupanin, etc.), makes its consumption and marine production reduced, since the Extraction generates a lot of time and money. Therefore, the objective of this research is the improvement of the kinetics of extraction of alkaloids of two Eco types of frozen tarwi using extraction methods such as microwaves (MAE) and ultrasound (UAE) during dewatering, to then determine the effective diffusivity, the analysis qualitative and quantitative of the alkaloid, to evaluate the differences with respect to the traditional methodology. The two ecotypes of tarwi, previously hydrated for 24 h, frozen at -18 ° C are introduced to the microwave and ultrasound with a water and seed ratio of (5: 1), by three parameters, and three repetitions, for subsequent drying at $50 ° C$. The analysis of the extracted alkaloid was determined by UHPLC and evaluated as to its effective diffusivity for its modeling and extraction kinetics with Fick's second law, to then be a sensory evaluation of texture to determine the differences with respect to Traditional extraction The results obtained that an MAE at 450 W for 15 min and UAE at 40 kHz for 15 min were the most effective

The main product from the carob tree is locust bean gum, produced mainly in Spain - the leading producer of locust bean gum. Its use is widely spread due to its popularity in the food industry. However, the gum production provides a large amount of potentially recoverable waste. One part of this waste can already be considered a co-product. It is already established in a niche market as carob powder or carob flour. The degree of specification of this co-product is rather vague and sometimes it is even mixed with locust bean gum powder; thus, its processing qualities and the ability for the use in transformed products are not characterized from a scientific point of view. The presented project is based on the substitution potential of carob flour due to its "nutty" taste but also its potential nutritional value (low sugar, gluten-free).

This research aims to create product innovation centered on the characterization of carob flour from an equitable point of view but also the use of transformation expertise. The product innovations aim to promote Very Small and Medium Enterprises (VSME) to boost the economic tissue and combine local development of the product made from locust carob flour in combination with local products. The applications are multiple but are oriented towards the development of a scientific characterization of the by-products of the carob tree (carob flour) to allow its introduction in pastries and biscuits, with joint knowledge of artisans and local products. Also, concerning the design of new products and processing, more globally this type of project aims at the addition of added value in both developing and developed countries. This vision of development of ethical, fair trade and valorization of local products could be transposable concerning the development of other products

The aim of our work was to study the change in the quantitative composition of Penicillium roqueforti in unsterilized fruit jam with potassium sorbate, packaged in soft packs of the “Doy Pak” type, at different storage temperatures. Jam samples infected with test microorganism were placed in a refrigerator (6±1.0°C) and in a thermostat (24±0.5°C). At the same temperatures, control samples of jam in the original packaging were also stored. Sampling of contaminated products was carried out every 3-4 days for 28 days, then every 2 weeks. Control samples of jam were examined monthly. In addition, organoleptic (appearance, consistency and smell) and physicochemical parameters (mass fraction of soluble solids, pH, a_w and Eh) of control and infected samples were determined. The storage of mold contaminated samples at different temperatures indicated the absence of favorable conditions for the development of mold. At a storage temperature of 24°C, test microorganism died after 18 days of storage, at a storage temperature of 6°C – after 3,5 months. Visible changes in the organoleptic characteristics of contaminated samples were not detected. As a result of studies, it was found that the industrial sterility of the control samples of jam remained during 5 months of storage at temperatures of 6°C and 24°C. Organoleptic and physicochemical parameters of control samples of product during storage did not change compared to their initial value. The data obtained suggest that blueberry jam canned by hot bottling using potassium sorbate and packaged in a soft pack “Doy Pak” type, is resistant to microbiological spoilage and can be stored for at least 5 months under normal conditions.

Inulin is a prebiotic proven to have various health benefits. Inulin research is largely limited to inulin derived from Cichorium intybus plant. Inulins are found to be diverse in different plants, with regard to branching, chain length, degree of polymerization and molecular weights, consequently may differently fermented by colonic microbiota. This study investigated Asparagus falcatus (Sicklethorn) and Taraxacum javanicum (Dandelion) plants as inulin sources on growth and survival of two probiotic strains (B. animalis Bb-12 and L. acidophilus La-5) in yoghurt beverages. Inulins were extracted and purified from Asparagus and Taraxacum roots and analysed for inulin contents (using HPLC), total flavonoids (AlCl₃ method) and total phenolics (Folin ciocalteu method). Synbiotic beverages were prepared by incorporating Asparagus, Taraxacum or commercial chicory inulins at different concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%). Effect of Asparagus and Taraxacum inulin on survival of probiotics during refrigerated storage of yoghurt beverages were investigated. Organic acids (lactic, acetic, propionic, butyric acid) production in beverages were determined using HPLC during refrigerated storage. Sensory analysis was conducted after one day of refrigeration, while physicochemical properties were analysed after 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of refrigeration. HPLC methods revealed that extracted Asparagus and Taraxacum root powders contained inulin contents of 66% and 47% compared to that of 76% (DW basis) in commercial inulin. Addition of all inulin types caused 1-2 log increase in Bb-12 counts, but did not affect La-5 growth, confirming bifidogenic effects of inulin. Increasing inulin concentration from 1% to 3% showed no significant effect (P>0.05) on Bb-12 or La-5 growth. Survival of Bb-12 and La-5 during cold storage was significantly protected in the presence of Taraxacum inulin at all concentrations. Significantly (P<0.05) greater lactate, acetate, and propionate concentrations were detected in beverage containing Taraxacum inulin. Asparagus and Taraxacum inulin can be effectively used in synbiotic beverage production.

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is the most chemically complex and largest of all the vitamins and is involved in cell metabolism of the Human body. The vitamin B12 deficiencies have significant adverse consequences on key aspects of body functioning, such as on immune systems, cognition, endurance and work capacity. Vegetarians, seniors, pregnant women and people with food-bound B12 malabsorption are segments of population who may suffer from lack of vitamin B12. So, the intake of supplements of vitamin B12 to prevent and to overcome vitamin B12 deficiencies appears as a solution. The microencapsulation/immobilization of vitamins is a promising alternative to improve their stability and bioavailability, to protect and to improve these sensitive compounds with a controlled release, enabling their incorporation in active food products, nutraceuticals and even in therapeutic formulations. In the present work, micro/nanostructures (microparticles, nanoparticles, fibres and films), prepared with two different techniques, spray drying and electrospinning, were studied for the incorporation of vitamin B12.  For this purpose, zein, a prolamin protein extracted from corn, was the selected as encapsulating material. The micro/nanostructures were characterized in terms of morphological properties. Their release profiles were simulated and evaluated using different kinetic models: Korsmeyer-Peppas, Weibull and Baker–Lonsdale. These models allowed the evaluation of the mass transport mechanisms that were involved in the release. Different structures and different release behaviours were obtained depending on the formulation and on the technique (spray drying or electrospinning) used. The major mechanism responsible for controlled release was identified and is a Fickian diffusion (case I transport) and the model that, in general, better fits the experimental results is the Weibull model. In conclusion, the Vitamin B12 micro/nanostructures prepared present promising characteristics for food and nutraceutical applications.

Image segmentation is a key step in most Digital Image Analysis (DIA) involving computing tasks, as its performance directly affects the outcome of the image processing stages as a whole. In addition, Canny's algorithm is considered one of the best contour detection methods using convolution masks based on the first derivative. In this way, a change in intensity manifests as an abrupt change in the first derivative, a characteristic that is used to detect an edge. 
 The present work aimed to obtain relevant information from DIA on strawberries undergoing microwave drying (MW) treatments. The starting hypothesis is the feasibility of evaluating the changes in size, color and brightness that occur during the processing of strawberries in order to monitor the loss of product quality. In this sense, images of strawberries obtained in offline mode every 10 min of drying (MW lasts 100 min) were analyzed and compared with the original images (time 0), using different segmentation algorithms (global, adaptive binary, Otsu and color segmentation in Hue-Saturation-Value, HSV, coordinates) and filters (mean, median and Gaussian). Them, edge detection was evaluated using Canny's algorithm. The code was programmed entirely in Python (Anaconda platform) using the OpenCV library. Also, the NumPy and Matplotlib libraries were used to perform the data analysis.

The algorithms proposed were useful to obtain relevant information about shrinkage and color losses during MW drying, highlighting the efficiency of DIA techniques to evaluate visual changes of foods subjected to processing. During the segmentation task the need of an effective prior edge detection of the slices in the MW plate was revealed. Canny´s algorithm implementation could detect strawberry edges, however, optimization in taking photos (brightness control and increased background contrast) could lead to a  more efficient detection of fruits during the drying process previous to their segmentation step.

Moringa oleifera is a plant with phytochemicals with proven health benefits. These benefits are mainly related to the phenolic compounds, which are most commonly found in the leaves. However, these compounds must be released from the food matrix and pass through the gastrointestinal tract in order to exert their bioactivity,such as the antioxidant capacity. For this reason, the aim of this study was to characterize the phenolic profile of Moringa oleifera and evaluate their bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity during a gastrointestinal digestion (GID) in vitro. Free and bound phenolic compounds from Moringa oleifera leaves powder were extracted using conventional and alkaline extractions. Total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), antioxidant activity (oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay) and the phenolic profile (HPLC-UV-DAD and LC-MS/MS) were analyzed for each extract and for the GID using the harmonized INFOGEST static protocol for Moringa oleifera leaves powder. Fractions of free and bound phenolic compounds exhibited values of 53.79 ± 2.3 and 75.10 mg GAE/g DW, respectively. After GID the phenolic content of Moringa oleifera leaves powder was 11.66 ± 0.26, 14.06 ± 0.87 and 13.85 ± 0.18 mg GAE/g DW, for oral, gastric and intestinal respectively, with a bioaccessibility value of 10.74%. Furthermore, the fractions of free and bound phenolic compounds exhibited 2-fold ORAC values compared to Moringa oleifera leaves after GID. These results suggest that the phenolic compounds in Moringa oleifera leaves are modified during GID in vitro. However, the myricetin and quercetin identified by LC-MS/MS, resisted the GID. Therefore, Moringa oleifera extracts and leaves, in a less sense, may show promising potential for use as a nutraceutical or functional ingredient to prevent and/or manage diseases related to oxidative-stress.

The main physiological disorder occurring in pear fruits during postharvest storage is the development of internal browning. Pears with flesh browning are discarded since they can no longer be commercialized, leading to huge financial losses in the horticultural market. This physiological disorder is closely connected to the gas conditions applied during storage which directly affect the central carbon metabolism of the fruits. Besides this, harvesting of fruits at the proper time is also significant for maintaining their good quality during postharvest storage. The research aims to get a better understanding of the physiology of the pear fruits and the regulation of the central carbon metabolism during postharvest storage in hypoxic condition. Pear tissue discs from early, commercial and late maturity stages were exposed to 21 % O2 followed by 0.2 % O2 for 24 h each in a liquid medium containing U-13C sodium pyruvate under a constant temperature of 18⁰C. Metabolite profiling was conducted through single quadrupolar GC-MS and metabolites were quantified through MassHunter quantitative analysis software. In response to hypoxia, the analysis showed sharp rises in organic acids such as fumarate, succinate and 2-ketoglutarate with a very small increase in lactate. In contrast, reductions were observed in sugar alcohols and sugars except glucose that slightly increased after 4 h of incubation in the liquid medium. Hypoxia led to a reduction of abundances of most amino acids in early and commercial stages, however, alanine was slightly increased in late maturity stages. No GABA accumulation was seen under hypoxic treatment. Similarly, the metabolic responses with regard to the harvesting time included increases in sugars and sugar alcohols and decreases in organic acids throughout fruit maturation. Most amino acids showed a small rise in late maturity stage though they had similar abundances in early and commercial stages.

Acrylamide (H2C=CH-CO-NH2), is a toxic substance produced by Maillard's reaction at high temperatures in baked foods. It has adverse effects on human health, and thus EFSA recommends do not exceed the dose of 0.17 mg/kg b.w. per day. The benchmark levels allowed in foods are between 50 and 1000 μg/kg of product as established in the Regulation (EU) 2017/2158. In order to overcome this problem, action must be taken to reduce the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars, which leads to the formation of acrylamide in bakery products such as pizza. This reaction can be inhibited using the enzyme L-asparaginase, which converts L-asparagine in aspartic acid and ammonia. In this project, the reduction of asparagine in pizza dough by asparaginase treatment is studied. For this aim, the wheat flour is treated with the commercial enzyme “Preventase” in three different formulations. Substrate, enzyme concentration, water content and mixing conditions, such as time and speed, are considered for the enzyme treatment. Finally, the asparagine content is detected in dough samples prepared with or without PreventAse. The final reduction of acrylamide will be evaluated, upon assessing the rheological properties of enzyme-treated doughs as well as leavening, temperature and cooking time. However, Maillard's reaction is crucial to the taste and the colour of cooked food, therefore, physico-sensory characteristics of cooked pizza will be also investigated.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) and cocoa products are a valuable source of bioactives compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants. However, the bioactivity of these compounds is closely related to their behaviour during digestion. The aim of the present study was to characterize the phenolic profile of cocoa beans (CB), cocoa powder (CP) and chocolate (CH) and evaluate their bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity during a gastrointestinal digestion (GID) in vitro. Free and bound phenolic compounds from CB, CP and CH were extracted using conventional and alkaline extractions. Total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), antioxidant activity (ORAC) and the phenolic profile (HPLC-UV-DAD and LC-MS/MS) were analyzed for each extract and for the GID using the harmonized INFOGEST static protocol for CB, CP and CH. Fractions of free phenolic compounds exhibited values of 148.55 ± 6.96, 212.41 ± 19.89, 48.54 ± 5.84 GAE/g DW, respectively, and the fractions bound phenolic compounds exhibited values of 204.76 ± 8.29, 173.85 ± 11.76, 125.87 ± 8.05 GAE/g DW, respectively. After GID the phenolic content of CB, CP and CH was 28.10 ± 1.39,  19.74 ± 0.28 and 5.78 ± 0.16 mg GAE/g DW, respectively, with a bioaccessibility values of 9.08%,1.48% and 3.31% respectively. Furthermore, the fractions of free and bound phenolic compounds in CB and CP had the highest antioxidant capacity in the ORAC assays values compared to CH and the samples after GID. These results suggest that the phenolic compounds in CB, CP and CH are modified during in vitro gastro-intestinal digtestion. However, the catechin and epicatechin, identified by LC-MS/MS, resisted the GID. In this way, the cocoa beans achieved higher bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity compared to cocoa bean products such as cocoa powder and chocolate.

The aim of this study was to encapsulate the anthocyanin extract (AE) from hibiscus calyx by using ionic gelation, and to evaluate how beneficial properties of the active compound are maintained in the application in yogurt matrix. Two techniques were used for ionic gelation: dripping-extrusion (D) and atomization (A). The microparticles (D method) were produced by Encapsulator (Büchi B-390), nozzle 300μm (200mbar, 100Hz and 400V); microparticles (A method) were produced by atomizer (Büchi B-290), nozzle 0.7mm (0.15bar and 1.30ml/min). Both methods used double emulsion (AE/rapeseed oil/pectin) and a cross-linked solution (CaCl2). The anthocyanin extract microencapsulated (20% D or A microparticles) and in the free form (1.5% AE), was applied in natural yogurt matrix. Yogurt samples (YD, YA and YE) were characterized for total dry extract, total lipids, protein content, total milk bacteria, pH/acidity, phenolic compounds (Folin Ciocalteau), total anthocyanins (differential pH), antioxidant activity, color (colorimeter), morphology (optical microscopy), then being submitted to a sensory acceptance test (80 panelists). The samples were stored in the absence of light (5±1oC) and monitored every 7 days for total polyphenols, total anthocyanins, color, pH/acidity and syneresis for a period of at least 32 days. The use of microencapsulation allowed on average 60% of hibiscus extract anthocyanins retention after application of the microparticles in yogurt matrix, showing technical viability, providing color and functionality. Yogurt matrix with application of microparticles generated by atomization technique (YA) had greater acceptability of appearance with a mean score 6.5 for yogurt, which corresponds to values between "liked" and "liked little”. During the 29-day shelf-life, microparticles provided yogurt matrix staining, with retention of 48 to 21% anthocyanin content. Yogurt matrix with the addition of particles generated by ionic gelation with dripping-extrusion technique (YD) had higher bioactive retention, although such particles have presented less homogeneous color distribution.

Sugar reduction in food products is strongly recommended by WHO due to the association of obesity, type-2 diabetes, dental caries onset with sugar overconsumption. Sugar has an important technological role in food as it delivers, in addition to sweetness, structure and body. The challenge in sugar reduction is to use ingredients with a “bulking” and structuring effect. A new syrup-like-product, MELTEC^® (Hi-Food S.p.a), based on natural fibers from legumes and cereals, with consistency similar to honey was recently proposed as “bulking agent” in sugar reduced products. The objective of this work was to assess the potential of MELTEC^® as a bulking agent to mimic the structural and textural properties of short breads. Shortbreads were produced using a standard product recipe where sugar was also reduced (30 and 50% sugar reduction) without/with addition of MELTEC^®. Shortbreads were characterized for physico-chemical attributes (texture, colour) as well as for sensorial attributes (acceptability and check-all-that-apply (CATA) tests) with an untrained consumer panel. MELTEC^® addition did not hinder dough workability and did not require changes in shortbread production procedure. Sugar reduction caused softening (reduction of force at rapture) of short breads in a manner proportional to the level of sugar reduction. The presence of MELTEC^® was found to partially preserve structural strength. Sugar reduced products had all a colour distingiushable form the control with the MELTEC^® containing products having a more marked red component. Sensory analysis (acceptability and CATA tests) revealed that the application of 30% MELTEC® for sugar reduction resulted in a product with sensory acceptability comparable to the control (statistically similar to that based on 100% sucrose), and with a crunchy/friable texture and pleasant aftertaste. Based on the above findings, the application MELTEC^® as a bulking agent offered a partially-reduced shortbreads with proper texture that was accepted by consumers.

Wheat bran (WB) is a by-product of the wheat milling process,  used for food and non-food applications; 90% is used as a livestock feed and only 10% is used in the food industry. The study evaluated the effect of autoclaving as a hydrothermal treatment on the quality and bioactivity of  WB with the objective of producing a natural ingredient with enhanced healthy properties. Nutritional, antioxidant, techno-functional and sensorial parameters were studied, and temperatures of 100, 115 and 130 °C were explored. 

Autoclaved enhanced the antioxidant properties of WB and the bioavailability of certain types of non-free phenol compounds, such as ferulic acid, and other compounds of interest, such as flavonoids. WB particle size had an effect on bioactive properties and, with the aim of finding a balance between quality and bioactive aspects, WB fractionated with intermediate particle size, in the range of 300–106 µm, and treated at 130 °C, appears to be the most appropriate. Since the hydrothermal process did not produce noticeable sensory changes in WB, these results indicate that autoclaved WB may be used as an ingredient to be incorporated in drinkable products, such as juices or milkshakes, without modifying sensory and rheological properties following the common thermal processes that these products require for stabilization.

Funding: This research was funded by European Union FEADER project Biodough (PEP 2017-807) 2018–2020. FEDER/Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities-Spanish Agency of Research (AEI/Spain and FEDER/UE), grant number AGL2017-83718R. P.A. Caballero, F. Ronda and A.L. Gutierrez the collaboration grant between ITACYL and University of Valladolid and to MINECO/FEDER (AGL2015-63849-C2-2-R) and Junta de Castilla y León/FEDER (VA165G18) for their financial support.

Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge EMESA S.A and specially to Antonio Caballero for providing WB material (Emilio Esteban, Valladolid, Spain) and technical support during the project.

Although wheat is considered as cereal grain which is a worldwide staple food, its protein fraction is associated to different adverse reactions. Nowadays, the most effective way to manage food allergy is to eliminate this food from the diet. Industrial food processes may represent an alternative to decrease the allergenicity of food; among these fermentation processes constitute a promising approach. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an essential role in food fermentation processes because of their proteolytic system. The objective of this work is to screen a collection of LAB isolated from different fermented foods and to assess their activity on the antigenicity and allergenicity of gluten proteins. 172 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains previously isolated from different fermented foods and beverage were screened for their proteolytic activity on gluten substrate by SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. Gliadins were extracted and their antigenicity assessed by Western blot using polyclonal IgG antibodies specific to gliadins. The residual allergenicity of the fermented gluten was explored by degranulation assay using RBL cells. The screening resulted in nine proteolytic strains belonging to two species: Lactococcus lactis and enterococcus feacalis. The RP-HPLC analysis of the gliadins extracted from the Lactococcus Lactis fermented gluten revealed that this strain hydrolyzed more than 90% of the gliadins. Whatever the antibody used, a significant decrease of the antigenicity was observed in the fermented gluten, suggesting that the proteases have hydrolyzed the gliadins epitopes efficiently.  The degranulation assay with basophile RBL-SX38 showed that this strain reduces the capacity of gluten to triggering degranulation from 63% to 42% after 24H fermentation.  Fermentation of gluten by Lactococcus Lactis induces a decrease in its antigenicity and allergenicity that may be related to the capacity of the selected LAB used to hydrolyze the epitopes responsible for wheat allergy partially.

Homemade complementary foods (CFs) fed to children in Uganda are deficient in vitamin A, iron and zinc. Novel homemade CFs rich in vitamin A, iron and zinc need to be developed, and assessed for their acceptability among children.

Homemade provitamin A carotenoid (PVAC), iron and zinc-rich complementary food (CF), common bean pumpkin blend (BPB) formulated from pumpkin (Sweet cream) and common bean (Obwelu), and PVAC-rich pumpkin blend (PB) made from Sweet cream were prepared by mothers. This study compared child acceptability of BPB and PB (control). 

This  study randomly assigned Ugandan children 6 to 24 months old to either receive 100g of BPB (n=35) or 100g of PB (n=35) on day one. After a palate washout period of one day, children crossed over to receive either BPB (n=35) or PB (n=35). The amount of CF consumed, duration of consumption, and micronutrient intake were assessed.  CF was acceptable if children consumed ≥ 50 g of served food (100 g). A paired t-test was used to determine the mean differences within participants between BPB and PB. 

The mean consumption of BPB and PB was 53.9 g and 54.4 g, respectively. Mean duration for consumption of BPB and PB was 20.6 and 20.3 minutes, respectively. There was no significant difference in amounts consumed, and duration of consumption in BPB and PB (P>0.05). Mean intake of vitamin A was significantly higher (P<0.00001) in PB (152.5 µgRAE) compared to BPB (100.9 µgRAE). Mean iron intake was significantly higher in BPB (1.1 mg) (P<0.00001), compared to BP (0.3 mg). Furthermore, zinc intake was significantly higher (P<0.00001) in BPB (0.58 mg), compared to BP (0.13 mg).

A homemade CF, BPB, made from locally available common bean and pumpkin is rich in PVAC, iron and zinc and is acceptable to children in the age range of complementary feeding in Uganda. 

Rapid on-site monitoring of the composition of meat products and identifying components not provided by the recipe is extremely in demand in modern society. Immunochromatographic assay (ICA) effectively solves this problem, detecting specific biomarkers of the used row materials in minutes. However, the reliability and information output of the assay results highly depend on the choice of controlled biomarkers. In the presented study the use of such proteins as skeletal troponin I, myoglobin, and immunoglobulins for testing purposes is considered, and results of ICA development and validation are presented. The ICA development included synthesis and characterization of conjugates between specific antibodies and gold nanoparticles, choice of regimes for immobilization of immunoreagents on the test strip membranes and finding the assay conditions for the lowest detection limit of the markers and the absence of nonspecific interactions. Sample preparation protocols were developed for revealing the chosen biomarkers in meat and products of its processing. The combinations of antibodies with different specificity were selected for different tasks of authentication. Thus, the system distinguishing mammalian (beef, pork, and lamb) meat sources from poultry (chicken, turkey, and duck) sources was proposed with the use of anti-troponin antibodies. Myoglobin was considered as a biomarker for specific immune recognition of porcine meat. The developed ICAs allowed revealing an adulteration with sensitivity 0.5-1.0% (w/w) and demonstrated high productivity and accuracy of the results. The tests were successfully applied to characterize meat and meat-based products, including various kinds of thermally processed food stuffs. The developed techniques may be considered as efficient tools for controlling the authenticity and quality of meat products. This study was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project No 19-16-00108).

Erythorbyl laurate mixture (ELM), a promising multi-functional emulsifier with antibacterial and antioxidant activities, was synthesized by two-step enzymatic esterification catalyzed by immobilized lipase (Novozym 435^®). Erythorbic acid and lauric acid were esterified by the lipase (first step), and then glycerol was added as a second substrate to synthesize lauric acid esters of glycerol (second step). In the first step, erythorbyl laurate was synthesized with a production yield of 15.82 ± 0.25 mg/mL; however, most of the lauric acid (96.38%) remained unreacted. In the second step, the addition of glycerol eliminated 99.60% of the residual lauric acid. Through this two-step enzymatic synthesis, since the residual substrates were completely consumed and no additional purification is required, the ELM could be produced economically and efficiently. The final product (i.e., erythorbyl laurate mixture, ELM) consisted of 1.33% erythorbyl laurate, 39.39% monolaurin, 44.19% dilaurin, 2.27% trilaurin, 2.84% erythorbic acid, 2.93% lauric acid, and 7.06% glycerol. The multi-functionality (emulsifying, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities) of ELM was evaluated in the oil-in-water emulsion system. First, the emulsion stability of ELM was determined by the change of the droplet size and zeta-potential. The emulsions containing ELM below 2.0% (w/w) were stable over 15 days of storage at 25°C. Second, the time-kill assay was performed against food-borne pathogens. In the range from 0.5 to 2.0% (w/w) of ELM, the ELM emulsion showed bactericidal effects against Gram-positive bacteria. Finally, lipid oxidation was assessed in the ELM emulsions by the ferric thiocyanate assay for lipid hydroperoxides. The amounts of lipid hydroperoxide produced during thermally accelerated oxidation decreased as ELM concentration increased. In conclusion, ELM produced via two-step enzymatic synthesis could be used as a multi-functional food additive for emulsion-based foods.

Understanding the lubrication mechanisms of human saliva is crucial to the development of tools to assess and predict the oral behavior and sensory properties of foods and beverages. In this context, we have investigated the lubrication properties of human unstimulated saliva (n=11) on soft (glass-PDMS) and hard (glass-metal) contacts and compared with those of two Newtonian model systems: glucose syrup and sunflower oil. Using a rheometer equipped with a ball-on-three-pin geometry, a master dimensionless Stribeck curve (Friction Coefficient vs. Hersey Number) was generated for each Newtonian material and tribopair to enable interpretation of the saliva curve. For the glass-PDMS contacts, the boundary region (0.01 to 10 mm/s) showed a decrease followed by an increase in friction coefficient (U-shape) followed by a jagged allure. In the mixed regime (≥10 mm/s) saliva was pushed out of the gap due to high vibration and centrifugal force. Comparison with the Newtonian materials showed this effect is due to insufficient hydrodynamic lift resulting from the combination of PDMS pin deformability and low salivary viscosity. As a result, data from the mixed regime is not reliable and should be interpreted with caution. Conversely, data from the boundary region can be meaningful and physiologically relevant. Currently, interfacial and thin film rheology of saliva are being characterized to further elucidate boundary conditions (i.e. slip flow) and establish a more robust interpretation of the Stribeck curve and its different regions.

Background: Foam mat drying technique have been used over the last couple of decades as an alternative method for drying of food products. Number of attempts have been initiated to assess the technology and enhance the quality of dried product. In this article basics of foam mat drying technology, foam types, foaming agents and foam stabilizers used and there influences on drying characteristics and dried product quality are reviewed.

Scope and approach: This drying technique is most suitable for foods which are highly heat sensitive and very sticky to dry. By using this drying technique product is dried in comparatively short time with minimum quality changes. Products developed by this drying technique have maximum preservation of the compounds which are very heat sensitive. Foam mat drying is an economical alternative to drum, spray and freeze-drying for the production of food powders.

Key findings and conclusions: A high-quality food powder can be obtained by the proper selection of foaming method, foaming agents, foam stabilizers, time taken for foaming, suitable drying method and temperature. Further development in design of continuous foam drying technology will help to achieve stable foam, which in turn results in dried powder of high quality and also studies on the microstructure characterization of foams and foam-dried products, computer simulation techniques for the prediction of moisture and temperature distribution in the product requires the attention of researchers for further up gradation of the process. It is highly expected that the further improvement in foam mat drying process, as well as the use of other drying method combined with foam mat drying, will intensify the adoption of this method in food dehydration sector.

Particle-containing fruit preparations are widely used in the food industry. An example of application is fruit yoghurt, in which consumers expect the presence of intact fruit pieces indicating freshness and high quality. However, during the production of fruit preparations and products derived therefrom, fruit pieces experience mechanical loads in vessels, pipes, etc., which may lead at worst to their complete destruction. Consequently, the food industry is highly interested in preventing undesired damaging of fruit pieces. In order to design processes such that damaging becomes minimal it is required to relate the mechanical resistance of fruits to the acting mechanical loads during the processing. 

Fruits are complex materials which behave like viscoelastic solids. Their mechanical properties can vary greatly among types of fruits and factors like temperature, storage time or ripeness have additional affects. The contribution presents measurements of mechanical characteristics of pieces of some selected fruits and their response to different mechanical loads. Moreover, an attempt is made to model the fruit behaviour by means of constitutive models of viscoelasticity. The response to uniaxial compression in terms of Young modulus, yield point and rupture strength is determined in compression tests. Besides, creep and relaxation tests are performed under uniaxial compression. The response to shear stresses is determined in amplitude tests and frequency tests. The obtained information covers the shear modulus, the linear-viscoelastic range as well as the yield and rupture points of the materials. The obtained data is used to calibrate mechanical models to describe the elastic, viscous and plastic properties of the fruit material. These results provide a first step towards the prediction of the mechanical damage of fruit particles during food processing so that it will become possible to design processing plants in such a way that the damage of fruit particles is kept on a minimal level.

Biofortification of popular crops and the promotion of underutilised crops could be used to address malnutrition. This study aimed to investigate the potential of provitamin A (PVA)-biofortified maize and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and bambara groundnut (BGN) for improving the nutritional status of rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), SA. 

Initially, the nutritional status of a purposive sample of 50 households from three rural areas of KZN: Swayimane, Tugela Ferry and Umbumbulu, and 21 households from Fountain Hill Estate, located in rural KZN, was assessed through selected anthropometric and dietary intake methods. Thereafter, the acceptability of PVA-biofortified maize combined with either curried cabbage, chicken or BGN, and, separately, OFSP, was assessed through sensory evaluation using a consumer panel (n=120). Fifty-six participants randomly selected from the consumer panel participated in focus group discussions to assess their perceptions of the food samples evaluated.

Stunting (30.8%; n=12) and obesity (15.4%; n=6) were prevalent in children under five years, while obesity was high in adult females (39.1%; n=81), especially those aged 16-35 years. The dietary patterns indicated a high intake of glycaemic carbohydrates and low intake of fibre and micronutrients, including vitamin A. This confirmed the need for a food-based approach to address malnutrition. Sensory evaluation results indicated that PVA-biofortified composite dishes were positively perceived by the majority of participants; OFSP was as acceptable as cream-fleshed sweet potato (control), while dishes containing BGN were acceptable to adults. 

Provitamin A-biofortified crops and BGN have the potential to contribute to alleviating malnutrition among the communities studied. Similar studies should be conducted in other provinces to identify traditional recipes using maize, sweet potato and BGN. This would result in an improved nutritional content of traditional meals by substituting/partially substituting non-biofortified food items for PVA-biofortified food items and including BGN in traditional recipes for a particular province.

The recent reports from the EAT lancet commission recommend global meat consumption to be reduced across many countries in the world, to contribute to a more sustainable food production and reduce the impact on climate change [1]. The commission recommends replacing meat and meat products with plant-based crops. Pulses are nutritious crops with a high protein content and served as a substitute or replacement of meat in different cultures around the world. However, pulses are considered as food for low-income consumers and are regarded as being old-fashioned. Over the last decades, the production and consumption in developed as well as in developing countries have decreased. Pulses have become a neglected crop in agricultural research and not been considered economically attractive [2]. 

The present study aimed to provide extensive insights into consumer perceptions towards pulses in a pan-European survey. The objective is to conclude strategies supporting the increase of pulses’ common acceptance and thus their share in a daily diet. Quantitative data has been collected through a web-based survey conducted in five different European countries: Denmark, UK, Poland, Germany and Spain with approximately 1000 respondents per country. The survey was back translated and intensively tested. Participants were randomly sampled representing the general population with quota on gender, age and area of residence. The questionnaire contained several sections covering aspects of familiarity with pulses; consumption behaviour of pulses by considering different varieties of pulses; attitudes towards pulse consumption; and willingness to replace meat or other food with pulses. Results of the latter part will be presented, whereby a distinction between replaced food as well as the manner of replacement, i.e. with pulses, processed products from pulses or meat substitutes from pulses will be made.

1. Willett et al., The Lancet 393, 447-492 (2019)
2. van der Weele et al., Trends Food Sci Technol 88, 505-512 (2019) 

Soy sauce is a high salt food condiment and seasoning commonly used all across Asia and some western parts of Europe. Indonesia produces high quantities of soy sauce, however, it is still less prominent than other soy sauces in the European market. Understanding the effect of colour on sensory perception of soy sauce could provide insight into consumer perception of Indonesian soy sauce, which is  lighter compared to others. 

The perception of light and dark soy sauce was studied by comparing emotional responses of Indonesian and Greek subjects, in combination with sensory analysis. Greek (n=95) and Indonesian (n=76) subjects watched a video of soy sauce samples mixed with rice porridge and their facial expressions were analysed, followed by tasting the samples and acceptance test. The physicochemical properties of samples including reducing sugar, organic acid, salt content, viscosity, and colour were analysed. 

Indonesian panellists favoured lighter soy sauce as opposed to Greek panellists. The perception of saltiness was affected by the colour of samples as Indonesian panellists ranked the lighter soy sauce as being more favourable in terms of saltiness; however Greek panellists did not show any difference in preference.

This study focused on the investigation of changes in physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, antioxidant capacities, and brain cell proliferations on production of germinated wheat tea. The wheat was germinated for 46. 18 h at 17.6 ℃ and then dried for 16h at 45 ℃. Before roasting among wheat tea production, the germinated wheat samples were steamed for 10 min at 220 ℃. The steamed samples were roasted for 10, 20, and 40 mins at 160 ℃ and then grounded using a pulverizer. Significant (p<0.05) changes of browning index (BI) and Maillard reaction products (MRPs) were found in germinated wheat tea samples. The more roasted wheat samples showed significant increases in the total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) as processing roasted time increased (p<0.05). The highest 2,2,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values was achieved in the samples roasted at 160 ℃ for 40 min. Also, the neuroprotective effects of germinated wheat tea were determined by PC12 cell proliferation. Extracts of roasted tea samples induced protective effects on corticosterone stress in PC12 cell compared with control, suggesting germinated wheat tea might be effective in reducing anxiety and depression. In addition, volatile compounds were measured by gas chromatography/mass selective detector (GC/MSD). The furfural, furan, and pyrazine were significantly increased in germinated wheat tea samples with increased roasted time (p<0.05). Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that roasting in production of germinated wheat tea might be contributed to increase health-related compounds and germinated wheat tea. The sensory evaluation of germinated wheat tea will be conducted in the future.

Melamine is an organic base introduced as a contaminant in food products with the intent to falsify total protein content. The illegal adulteration of infant milk powder with melamine has resulted in chronic kidney and urinary tract failure. The consumption of melamine contaminated cow milk causes indigestion, acidity, ulcers and kidney stones in humans. There is an urgent need to develop a simple, fast and effective method for the analysis of melamine in infant milk and milk products. This study demonstrates a facile but efficient approach to deposit gold thin film on the surface of ZnFeO_x nanoflakes. SERS enhancement property of this nanocomposite was evaluated by detecting melamine and its monologues. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are micro porous materials made up of ions or clusters of metals and organic ligands. It possesses many outstanding physical and chemical properties including large surface areas, regular pore sizes and shapes, large and permanent internal porosity, high thermal and chemical stability and ease of modification. In this research, nanoflakes of ZnFeO_x decorated with Metal nanoparticles were prepared as a new, highly sensitive and uniform hybrid surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. In comparison to bulk ZnO, ZnO nanostructures offers increased surface-to-volume ratio, which is ideal for incorporating metal nanoparticle like Au/Ag/Cu To enhance the SERS activity towards analyte. As semiconductors are weak substrates in SERS enhancement, we can improve the same either by doping with heavy element or incorporating with noble metals. SERS based detection of melamine investigated by RAMAN Analysis, which showed the significantly increased efficient charge transfer and sensitive detection respectively.

Sweet taste is a cue for calorie-rich food and is innately attractive to animals, including humans. In the context of modern diets, attraction to sweetness presents a significant challenge to human health. Most known sugars and sweeteners bind to the Venus Fly Trap domain of T1R2 subunit of the sweet taste heterodimer. Because the sweet taste receptor structure has not been experimentally solved yet, a possible approach to finding sweet molecules is virtual screening using compatibility of candidate molecules to homology models of sugar-binding site [1]. Here, the constructed structural models, docking and scoring schemes were validated by their ability to rank known sweet tasting compounds higher than properties-matched random molecules. The best performing models were next used in virtual screening, retrieving recently patented sweeteners and providing novel predictions. [1] Yaron Ben Shoshan-Galeczki and Masha Y. Niv " Structure-based screening for discovery of sweet compounds" Food Chemistry (2020), in press.

Cultivation of strawberry requires lots of fossil fuels to make brilliant red color and taste good in the greenhouse. But lots of fossil fuels increase carbon dioxide which causes global warming. Therefore, cultivation strawberry trades off sensory attributes like appearance and non-sensory ones like sustainability. To overcome this problem, this study investigates consumers’ value for strawberry based on sensory and non-sensory factors in Spain and Japan by employing choice experiments. In choice experiments, the choice set consists of five attributes: price, color (red, pink, white), taste (sweet, sour), cultivation methods (conventional, organic), and types of heating system for cultivating strawberry in the greenhouse (fossil fuel, solar, woody biomass). Participants repeat to choose one of three strawberries and opt-out alternatives in total 12 choice sets. After that, they answer a few questions like environmental behavior and socio-economic backgrounds. We recruited each 1000 persons lived in Spain and Japan by using internet survey. The main effect result shows that both participants significantly prefer strawberry which is cheaper price, sweet, red color compared to white and pink, organic, solar and woody biomass heating compared to fossil fuel. In the WTP, both value color the most. As the second value, Spanish participants value for sustainability and Japanese participants value for taste. The main effect with interactions shows that both participants become to prefer white or pink strawberry if that tastes good. Regarding demographic and behavior questions as other results, in Spain, color, flavor, and place as valuing items influence preference. In Japan, gender and taste and color as valuing items influence preference. Also, knowledge of white and/or pink strawberries influence both consumers’ preference at the aspect of color.

The food and drink industry is the EU's biggest manufacturing sector in terms of jobs and value added.  Despite of financial and market turmoil, it remains stable, resilient, robust while increasingly connected to a number of other economic sectors with food-related applications (e.g. tourism, packaging, nanotech, ICT, pharma). A better coordination among these sectors is necessary to tackle emerging challenges, to catch common opportunities in the job market to graduates in HE food studies, to lead innovation in the food production chain especially to SMEs.  Modern skills and entrepreneurial competences meeting the job market are, thus, required to be achieved by the food technologists and professionals in a continuously changing working and societal environment. 

ASKFOOD (Erasmus+ KA2, www.askfood.eu ) is a Knowledge Alliance between business and academia in the food-related sectors to leverage innovation and sustainability aimed to:

• Upgrade and modernize training and educational methodologies in the food-related sectors
• Leverage of innovation and entrepreneurial mindset of the future generation of HE graduates
• Improve academia-industry and stakeholders interplay in a Quintuple Helix innovation model at EU and international level 
• Create a permanent knowledge alliance between businesses and HEIs in the food-related sectors

New learning and teaching methods (multidisciplinary curricula, learner-centred, problem-based teaching and learning) and innovative mapping and co-design of training supported by Open Innovation methodologies will be developed to modernize the workforce, improve entrepreneurial skills and a resilient mindset to favour a responsible innovation of the food vaule chain.

ASKFOOD is will also develop cross-industry knowledge platforms, an interactive repository of emerging skills and professional profiles in a forward-looking perspective (ASKFOOD Interactive Atlas) to forecast future skill needs in the food sector (ASKFOOD Forecast Aggregator), according to the evolution dynamics of the food sector. A Permanent Observatory as multisectorial, multidisciplinary eco-system to support innovation in food education will be set.

The creative industries have been seen to become increasingly important to economic well-being, proponents suggesting that "human creativity is the ultimate economic resource" and that "the industries of the twenty-first century will depend increasingly on the generation of knowledge through creativity and innovation". The UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) list of creative industries includes 1. Advertising and marketing, 2. Architecture, 3.Crafts, 4. Design: product, graphic, and fashion design, 5.Film, TV, video, radio and photography, 6.IT, software, and computer services, 7. Publishing, 8. Museums, galleries and libraries, 9.Music, performing, and visual arts. 

The ultimate discussion is concerning the food industry location in such a list. Gastronomy, molecular gastronomy, Michelin Stars restaurants, Master Chefs celebrities phenomenon, craft food manufacturing (beer, cheese, regional specialties), super innovative food approach as food 3D printing as well as insects eating - all those food groups and activities have an enormous impact on the economy – also as the source of flexible workplaces.

The work presents the analysis the impact of creative sectors in the area of food production - mainly reviewing craft production at Polish market.  

The study was supported by CREABIOECON Flagship InterTeam project of INTEREKON grant financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland under the programme "Regional Initiative of Excellence" 2019 - 2022 project number 015/RID/2018/19 total funding amount 10 721 040,00 PLN.

Nowadays, the general trend away from artificial additives is driving the search for natural alternatives with the capacity to replace these synthetic compounds. However, the maintenance and stability of valuable natural products for long-lasting applications in food, biotechnological, and biomedical industries is still a challenge. However, natural pigments are more unstable and highly susceptible to degradation during storage compared to synthetic ones. In this work, phycobiliprotein (PBP) pigments were extracted from Gracilaria gracilis through maceration in phosphate buffer using previously optimized conditions. The stability of PBPs in the extracts was assessed by monitoring the extracts at different pHs and temperatures for 10 days. Phycoerythrin (PE) content was spectroscopically determined and used as a response factor since PE is the main PBP present in G. gracilis. Kinetic modelling was used to describe PE degradation under different ranges of T and pH. The pigment extracts showed higher stability at a pH of 6.9 and -20 ºC. In order to use it to colour foods, a semi-purification was performed, by precipitation with ammonium sulphate 65 % followed by dialysis against water until a purity index of 0.7. Purified PE pigment was successfully applied as a colorant in pancakes and yogurts with a pigment concentration of 0.15 %. This study has shown the potential of PE pigments extracted from G. gracilis for applications in food products.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae natively contains an intricate network of proteolytic enzymes, mainly proteases A, B and C (carboxypeptidase Y). These enzymes play a pivotal role in the process of autolysis of yeast cells, during which they hydrolyze the cell’s natural proteins to produce yeast extract. Under autolytic conditions, the proteolytic enzymes are activated and inactivated at various degrees, as their inhibitors, naturally present in the cytoplasm of the cell, are digested. Activation or inactivation of the enzymes strongly depends on the temperature and time of autolysis. High pressure processing has the potential to activate or inactivate endogenous enzymes and was considered as a tool to control the proteolytic activity of yeast proteases during autolysis. Yeast cell suspensions homogenized, HP treated (200-600 MPa, 0-30 min) and incubated at temperatures of 32, 42 and 52°C, pH=5.5. Samples were withdrawn periodically and centrifuged to obtain a cell free autolysate. The total proteolytic activity of the lysate was measured using azocasein as a substrate. The activity of proteases A and B were measured using hemoglobin and azogelatin. The ability of lysates to clot milk was determined using the Berridge method. Activity of yeast proteases was found to depend on both incubation time, temperature and HP treatment conditions. Protease A had a high activity at 32°C while B was gradually activated up to 8 h and then remained constant. Similar results were obtained at 42°C, while at 52°C activity of protease B peaks at 4-6 h. High pressure processing was found to be detrimental to the activity of  protease A at the first 8 hours of autolysis at 32 and 42°C, while at 52°C its activity was enhanced. All lysates exhibited milk clotting activity which was found to depend on the activity of both protease A and B.

Taste receptors for bitter substances (T2Rs) belong to the family of G-protein coupled receptors. There are 25 known T2Rs in humans responsible for bitter taste perception. Bitter taste receptor (T2R14) is one of the human bitter taste receptors, recognizing an enormous variety of structurally different molecules, including natural and synthetic bitter compounds¹. T2R14 expressed not only in the oral cavity, but also in other tissues and involved in others physiological processes outside the tongue, and there is a growing interest in their potential role in biology. We established a functional T2R14 cell-based system that detects the receptor-ligand complex activation by measuring the formation of myo-Inositol 1 phosphate (IP1), a downstream metabolite in the Gαq signal transduction pathway. Through computational structure-based screening of Aldrich Market Direct database (AMD-DB) containing almost 3,000,000 compounds, 9 of compounds were predicted to activate T2R14. 4 of these were tested in the IP1 assay, and two of these (carrying little chemical similarity to known T2R14 agonists) were indeed active. Thus, novel T2R14-activating molecules were identified through a combination of structure-based screening and cell-based assay. We are continuing to optimize the homology models used for structure-based screening of large chemical databases, and are collaborating on developing biomimetic sensors for tastants detection^2,3.  

1. Di Pizio, A. & Niv, M. Y. Promiscuity and selectivity of bitter molecules and their receptors. Bioorganic Med. Chem. 23, 4082–4091 (2015).

2. Wu, C. et al. Biomimetic Sensors for the Senses : Towards Better Understanding of Taste and Odor Sensation. Sensors 17, (2017).

3. Qin, C. et al. A bioinspired in vitro bioelectronic tongue with human T2R38 receptor for high-specificity detection of N-C = S-containing compounds. Talanta 199, 131–139 (2019).

Plant-based milk alternatives is a fast-growing segment with more positive economic and environmental impact compared to conventional cow milk. However, most of the plant-based milk alternatives available today have low protein content, contain allergens and have poor sensorial acceptability. In this study, Moringa Oleifera plant was considered as a small fast-growing perennial and sustainable softwood tree, rich source of nutrients like proteins, fibers, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Our aim was to evaluate the unique cationic charge proteins from Moringa Oleifera seeds as functional ingredients to stabilize emulsion model system compared to commonly used concentrated soy protein. The leaves were found to have a protein content of 16.8% protein and oil content of 5.6% oil. The main fatty-acid in the seed-oil found to be Oleic acid (75% from the total fatty acids in the oil). The whole seed was found to contain seed-oil yield of approximately 40% by weight, 36.85% seed oil-cake proteins and 13.9% fibers. To obtain concentrated moringa protein (>60 %wt) pH modification, heating to 50ᵒC, salt addition and homogenization steps were taken to optimize the extraction yield. Unlike other plant proteins, in which the isoelectric point of the protein is acidic, the isoelectric point of the moringa protein was found to be around pH 10 which possess potential functional properties for the proteins.  The research characterized the proteins for their size, hydrophobicity and charge. The emulsion stabilization was tested using a particle size meter and Lumisizer machine compared with concentrated soy protein. The combination of Moringa plant parts has a high potential for creating a milk alternative beverage with high-protein content, high-quality oil, and a rich antioxidant extract, all of which together are an advantage over other plant-based beverages available in the market.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is one of the most important industrial crops grown primarily for its fibres and oil. Owing to their substantial content in macronutrients (dietary fibres and proteins) and essential lipids, flaxseeds gave gained much popularity in food industry applications during the last decade. It is well known that the flaxseed coat layer is rich in a mucilaginous polysaccharidic matter composed of hemicelluloses and pectic polysaccharides, which exerts important thickening, stabilising and gelling properties. Flaxseed gums are commonly extracted under mild alkaline conditions and fractionated via EtOH or ion-exchange chromatography. In the present work, we aimed at investigating the compositional (sugar monomers and hexuronic acids), structure conformational (nanoparticles tracking analysis, intrinsic viscosity and gel permeation size exclusion chromatography) and rheological (steady state, dynamic and thermo-oscillatory) properties of gum extracts obtained, under acid or alkaline extraction conditions, from golden and brown flaxseed husks. Based on our findings, alkaline extracted gums were characterised by higher rhamnogalacturonan-I to hemicellulose ratio than their acid analogues. In addition, golden flaxseed gum extracts contained a higher pectic polysaccharides matter than the exemplars obtained from brown flaxseed. The flow behaviour and viscoelasticity of the gum solutions (1 to 5% w/w) was rather comparable as concerns the flaxseed phenotype but it was significantly dependent on the extraction method. Based on the thermo-rheological kinetic data, the temperature dependence of gums viscoelasticity was closely associated with the phenotype of flaxseed husk and extraction method, whilst sol-gel transitions were detected in all aqueous systems containing at least 5% w/w of biopolymer.

There is potential for growing several types of pulses in Sweden. An increased domestic pulse cultivation and consumption could have many positive effects, such as reduced climate impacts, furthering of local societies, improved soils and increased resilience in food production. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of Nordic grown pulses in falafel, a deep-fried patty traditionally made from chickpeas or faba beans. The purpose was to create a new application for Swedish pulses in order to promote domestic pulse production. Falafels made from pea, bean, lentil and lupin were subjected to physicochemical analyses and a sensory acceptance test. The best liked falafel was then included in an optimisation to obtain a highly desirable texture. The falafels made from different pulses had significantly different physicochemical properties, with most of the variation due to differences in water absorption during soaking, water loss in deep-frying, the textural properties cohesiveness and hardness, and in colour measurements. The sensory evaluations indicated that all falafels were liked by consumers, with exception for yellow pea falafels. High liking of appearance correlated with large values of redness (a*) and contrast in lightness (L*) between falafel exterior and interior. High liking of texture correlated with large moisture content in falafel batter and weight increase in soaking, and with low hardness. An optimisation using response surface methodology was constructed for Gotland lentil falafels to investigate the effect of soaking time and NaHCO₃ concentration in the soaking water on the water uptake of lentils and textural hardness of falafels. Soaking time was the most important factor, where 10–13 hours was optimal for Gotland lentils to obtain both high water uptake and low hardness values. In conclusion, several Nordic grown pulses were suitable for falafel making, and soaking time had a significant effect on textural properties of falafels.

The purpose of the work is a comparative analysis of the sensory sensitivity of fourth-year students of the specialty “Physicochemical Methods and Instruments of Product Quality Control”, specialization “Certification of Food Products” and employees of food enterprises (specialists of production laboratories and technologists).

We analyzed the results of determining the sensory sensitivity of two groups of students (total 50 people) studying the discipline “Sensory control of food quality” and 14 groups of specialists of food enterprises (total 140 people) during 2018 and 2019. Sensory sensitivity was determined according to ISO 8586, ISO 5496, ISO 3972. Classes were held in the training laboratory of the Department of Physical and Chemical Methods of Product Certification. The results of the comparative analysis showed that all participants correctly distinguish colors. Distinction of color shades caused difficulties only for students (about 10%). 10% of students and 20% of employees of food enterprises successfully passed tests for recognizing sensitivity to basic tastes (100% correct answers). The most difficult tests were checking the sensitivity to odors and texture. None of the students could correctly recognize all the smells, among the employees of food enterprises only 1 person had this ability. Comparison of the results of testing the sensitivity to texture showed almost equal abilities in both categories of participants. A generalization of the data indicated that about 25% of students and 40% of workers in food enterprises possess the necessary sensory sensitivity.

The 11S globulin of amaranth is the most abundant storage protein in amaranth seeds and has a high nutritional value. This protein has five variable regions; in previous jobs, it was modified by insertion of four antihypertensive peptides in the first variable region. This protein was named AM1 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The aim of this work was to produce the AM1 protein, purify and analyze the functional properties of this protein. The AM1 was produced by fermentation in a potato waste medium for eight hours. Then, the cells were disrupted by sonication. The AM1 protein was purified from the insoluble fraction, with subsequent solutions of urea 6M, tris 20 mM, 2-mercaptoethanol and thiourea. Later, it was dialyzed against water. SDS-PAGE analysis showed one band of 50-60 kDa molecular weight, and was identified by western blot. The foaming capacity and emulsifying capacity were analyzed at different pH values (4.5, 6, 7, 7.5, 8 and 9). The best emulsifying activity and stability was at pH 8 (13 % and 5 % respectively). These depend on the hydrophilic-lipophilic amino acids balance. However, the best foaming activity was at pH 4.5 (23 %). This could be due to the net charge increased in the protein, which weakened the hydrophobic interactions and increased the flexibility of the protein. The AM1 protein have promising foaming properties at acidic conditions and regular emulsify properties at basic conditions. In a future, AM1 protein could be used as a food additive and could be used to develop new functional products.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a highly consumed fruit worldwide, the estimated world production is one billion tons, 72% of this production is considered pomace. Previous investigations show that seeds have high content of proteins. So, the functional properties are considered. In this work it was determined the functional properties in tomato seeds flour. 

The flour was prepared from dried tomato seeds, where protein content was 26.9%. The functional properties were determined in the whole and defatted flour. In general, the defatted flour showed better functional properties than the whole flour (water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, solubility and foaming capacity). With respect to emulsifying capacity, there was not significant difference between whole flour and defatted flour, while the emulsion stability was better for whole flour. At alkaline pH, the results were better for all functional properties, being solubility and emulsion, the best results obtained. The best oil holding capacity was found at pH 5.5 (2.5 ± 0.1 g oil g flour^-1). The best emulsifying capacity was found at pH 8 (87.5%). At pH 7, 8 and 9, the flour presented high emulsion stability, better than other reported sources. The tomato seeds flour has a good potential to be used as a food additive due to its good functional properties with high protein content.

Amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are involved in the defence mechanism of wheat. Some of them are major allergens in respiratory allergy (baker’s asthma), and they can also trigger food allergy in children. They have been suggested to have a pro-inflammatory role, and might, therefore, be involved in the onset of food allergy, celiac disease and in the pathology non celiac wheat sensitivity. Geneticists are currently attempting to produce new crop varieties by developing transgenic plants expressing less ATIs in order to test their implication in the onset of wheat-related pathologies. ATIs were often characterized through their enzymatic inhibitory activity. Highly specific molecular probes are needed to support these new developments and further research. The purpose of this work was to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed against ATIs.

MAbs were produced against three recombinant ATIs: 0.28, CM3 and CM16. After screening the hybridoma cell lines, ten mAbs were selected. Three were chosen for their specificity for the ATI fraction. Their isotype and activity were measured as well as their cross-reactivity between the three recombinant ATIs.  

Their usefulness in ELISA and western blot was then explored and the conditions defined. Finally, their capacity to detect and quantify ATIs on various wheat species and wheat-based food products was tested. The three mAbs here described work in ELISA and, the anti CM3 and anti 0.28 mAbs detect their corresponding antigen in western blot experiment. They can discriminate plants and foods for their amount of ATIs.

Starch is a major source of energy for humans and is widely used in the food industry. Since the demand for starch steadily increases, new, and renewable sources for starch are desired. Edible green marine macroalgae, especially species of Ulva, can accumulate starch up to 30% of their dry weight; however, its physicochemical properties are still unknown. In this study, we characterized molecular weight of amylose and amylopectin, amylose content, hydration capacity, viscoelastic behavior and digestibility of starch extracted from the seaweed Ulva ohnoi, in comparison with rice and potato starches. Ulva starch had a higher amylose content than rice and potato starches (55.0%, 34.5% and 24.3%, respectively). Ulva starch exhibited higher hydration capacity than rice starch (25.7g_water/g_starch and 10.3g_water/g_starch respectively), while potato starch exhibited the highest hydration capacity, of 40.9g_water/g_starch, probably due to presence of phosphate groups. Ulva starch had the lowest molecular weight, compared to rice and potato starch (1.17x10⁶, 4.41x10⁶ and 5.77x10⁶ g/mol, respectively). Ulva starch exhibited the highest G' after cooling-induced gelation following gelatinization, probably thanks to its high amylose content. Ulva starch exhibited Somewhat lower digestibility, compared to rice and potato starches apparently due to higher retrogradation and resistant starch (which may serve as a dietary fiber) formation due to the higher amylose content.

Our results show unique and beneficial techno-functional properties, and satisfactory in-vitro digestibility of Ulva starch, thereby indicating its potential use in food applications. Our study further supports the use of seaweed feedstock as a renewable source of important food ingredients.

Nowadays, food packaging is no longer conceived only as a containment and food protection, but it can play a more important role, especially for perishable products. The scientific world has accepted with great interest the challenges of our time linked to the minimization of two problems: the reduction of waste volumes and the extension of the shelf-life of products to guarantee products safe and quality. 

Therefore, growing attention is paid to the so-called active packaging, designed to incorporate components that can release or absorb substances from the packaged food or from the environment surrounding the product, allowing to extend its shelf-life. Among the active packaging, antimicrobial and antioxidant films seem to be the most promising as they allow to extend the shelf-life by reducing the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms and allow to maintain the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of foods.

Hence, this work is aimed at the development of nanostructured bio-films using the electrospinning process of natural compounds and biodegradable polymers. Electrospinning is a versatile and low-cost technique, perfect for nanofibers production. In this work, an overview of the most promising results obtained for the electrospinning of natural polymers such as zein, a corn prolamine, and also biodegradable synthetic polymers, such as polycaprolactone and poly(L-lactic acid) are presented. Natural active agents such as vanillin, present in vanilla pods, characterized by antimicrobial activity and alpha-tocopherol, contained in olive oil with high antioxidant properties, have been included into electrospun fibers. High entrapment efficiency, good control of fiber mean diameters and size distribution was obtained through operative parameters optimization. Electrospun mats have been characterized by gases permeability measurements and food simulants migrations tests. 

The anti-browning functionality of the edible seaweed Codium tomentosum extract as a coating for fresh-cut apples has been previously demonstrated and validated on a laboratory scale. However, the commercial viability of this treatment depends critically on the scaling up of the process. Therefore, a pilot-scale production of the extract followed by commercial-scale coating of fresh-cut apples was undertaken. 

Fresh-cut apples were coated by immersion in aqueous seaweed extract (0.5% w/v) as well as ascorbic acid - a synthetic commercial additive, while the control samples were immersed in de-ionised water. Apple slices were then packaged under ambient atmosphere conditions and stored at 4˚C for 15 days. The samples were evaluated for colour, browning index and enzymatic activity. Further, in order to gain insights into the action of the seaweed extract, the relative expression of coding genes for antioxidant and oxidant enzymes was determined by quantitative PCR. The expression of these target genes was normalised by reference genes expression. 

The results of the pilot-scale trial showed that the samples coated with the seaweed extract presented lower values of browning index compared to the control, even after 15 days of storage, which was consistent with the lab-scale experiments undertaken earlier. Moreover, consistently lower activities of the oxidative enzymes - peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase were observed due to gene downregulation, while higher values of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase were measured. 

These results demonstrate the efficacy of the seaweed coating and provide insights into the mechanism by which browning of fresh-cut fruits are delayed.

Stereoselectivity of triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) is an interesting property to target the specific sn (stereospecific numbering) position of the glycerol backbone for hydrolysis/esterification and has been a crucial feature to manipulate the fatty acid profiles in structured lipids. Previously, lipase from Cordyceps militaris (CML) was reported to exhibit an exceptional sn-1(3) stereoselectivity towards trioleoylglycerol, and in sequence was expressed in Escherichia coli and baculovirus system. However, there were limitations such as misfolding, absence of post-translational modification, and inefficient production in each expression system. Hence, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris was selected as the expression host to enable massive production and mimic the natural enzymatic characteristics. Signal sequence-truncated lipase gene from Cordyceps militaris (cml) was cloned downstream to α-factor signal sequence in pPICZα. Recombinant plasmid was transformed into P. pastoris X-33 and clone exhibiting the highest lipase activity was isolated. Recombinant CML (rCML) was expressed under 0.5% methanol at 25°C for 5 days and subsequently was purified through sequential chromatography. Purified rCML was catalytically characterized and compared with wild-type CML (wtCML). Kinetic parameters were evaluated using p-nitrophenyl palmitate lipolytic assay and the stereoselectivity index was determined through a chromatographic resolution of the products from CML-catalyzed reaction using trioleoylglycerol as a substrate. Finally, the primary structure and post-translational modification profile of both rCML and wtCML were elucidated via peptide mapping. Overall results indicated that rCML exhibited novel catalytic characteristics and could become an enzyme resource in limelight to produce various types of structured lipids.

Lightweight, hydrophobic, adsorbent pads based on aerogels from different cellulosic and nanocellulosic fractions extracted from Posidonia oceanica waste biomass were developed by a simple freeze-drying and PLA dipping method. The pure (nano)cellulosic aerogels presented highly porous structures, capable of adsorbing large amounts of oil (up to ~34 g oil/g aerogel); however, they lost their integrity when soaked in water. The incorporation of PLA hydrophobized the aerogels and improved significantly their mechanical performance (up to 10-fold increase in the compression stress). The most porous aerogel structures, obtained with the lowest (nano)cellulosic concentrations and with the less purified fractions, incorporated greater amounts of PLA upon dipping, which was mostly distributed filling in the pores. All the PLA-coated (nano)cellulosic aerogels presented a hydrophobic behaviour, with contact angles of 95–130° and selectively adsorbing greater amounts of oil (5.9–9.2 g oil/g aerogel) than water (2.8–6.7 g H₂O/g aerogel). These materials present a great potential as adsorbent pads for oil spill cleaning and food packaging applications.

Nowadays an energy efficient and product-saving production of juice concentrates cannot be guaranteed sufficiently by thermal and freeze concentration methods. They either affect heat-sensitive food compounds or need much energy. At this point the innovative and non-thermal concentration of juices by using CO₂ gas hydrates has gained attention. Gas hydrates are ice-like cage structures in which water molecules are stabilized by gas molecules. In the food sector, CO₂ is particularly suitable as an inert gas for the hydrate formation at 1 to 8°C and 30 to 80 bar. Thus, this technology not only has a low energy requirement and a high concentration potential, but also offers optimized products.

In this research apple and orange juice and model solutions are concentrated by the formation of CO₂ hydrates in a 1.5 L bubble column reactor. To investigate the recovery of valuable ingredients and thus the quality of concentrates and hydrates, contained flavourings are evaluated in GC/MS analyses and the amount of vitamin C is quantified by HPLC. Furthermore, dye concentrations are measured photometrically. Although the mechanisms are not understood in every detail yet, the data show that the valuable substances can be mainly found in the concentrate while only small amounts are found in the hydrate. Since the structural properties of the formed hydrates lead to a material selectivity, the preservation of a high product quality and sensorial characteristics is enabled. 

During all experiments the consumption of CO₂ is calculated with mass balances based on data from mass flow controllers. Further results imply that the induction time of hydrate formation can be reduced from hours to minutes by using crystallization nuclei to ensure a short processing time for the food industry. Consequently, concentrating by gas hydrate technology allows a sustainable production of juice concentrates with high quality.

Introduction: Heat treatment remains the most effective system for controlling microbial spoilage in food. However, heat affects not only the microbial population of the food, but also all its components, even impairing their physical and nutritional properties. A solution to minimize this deterioration, in those products where it is possible to treat them before packaging, has been the development of UHT treatments, where the product is exposed to 135ºC for a few seconds and is aseptically packaged. For packaged foods, the current methods of sterilization do not have this option. Until now, work has been done on systems to reduce processing times by increasing the apparent thermal diffusivity of these. 

Methods: Ctic Cita together with Ikerlan and Grupo Riberebro has developed an autoclave based on can heating by electromagnetic induction. The equipment also incorporates a system for cans rotation, which increases heat penetration speed and therefore the heating slope and the apparent thermal diffusivity. 

Results: The present work has studied the effect of the radiated power, the rotation speend and the viscosity of the product on the heating slope of the treatment. This effect will be reflected in the sensory quality of food products, mainly with regard to color and texture, for the same sterilization value, as well as in great energy and time savings.

Discussion: With the results obtained, a mathematical model will be built that will allow the simulation of the heat treatment of different food products, depending on their viscosity, achieving the optimization of the heat treatments of each of them

The Surimi supply chain generates huge amounts of Rest Raw Materials (RRM) including viscera, skin, filleting frame and bones from whitefish species that would otherwise be discarded or processed to low price (non-value-added products). According to FAO (GLOBEFISH Highlights: A quarterly update on world seafood markets, 2019), major contribution is from South Asia. This RRM has potentiality to be used to obtain new valuable bioactive compounds such as protein hydrolysates. By applying enzyme technology for protein recovery in fish processing, it may be possible to produce a broad spectrum of food ingredients and improve and upgrade the functional and nutritional properties of protein (Šližyte et al. 2005a). 

In this study, skins and bones from a surimi production plant which is based in Mumbai (India) were converted in protein hydrolysates with different molecular profiles.  Hydrolysis conditions (time, and type and concentration of enzyme) were optimized by Response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design using alkaline protease, neutral endoproteases and exopeptidae in different concentrations (0-0,2%w/v) during 2-5h at 50ºC. Protein content extract as total NTK protein, protein solubilisation yields (%), electrophoresis and amino acid composition were monitored.

Preliminary results showed that produced extracts are protein rich-hydrolysates (50-69%) containing peptides from 200KDa to 5KDa with potential bioactivity (antioxidant, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory and antimicrobial peptides).

References:

GLOBEFISH Highlights: A quarterly update on world seafood markets. (2019). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

 Šližyte, R., Rustad, T., & Storrø, I. (2005a). Enzymatic hydrolysis cod (Gadus morhua) by-products, optimization of yield and properties of lipid and protein fractions. Process Biochemistry, 40, 3680–3692.

Gelatin is a product of partial hydrolysis of fibrillar collagen, which is extensively used in the food industry as a gelling agent. Today most commercial gelatin is produced from the collagen of animal origin. However, the use of animal gelatin in the world food market is limited for people, following certain cultural and religious requirements that prohibit the use of animal food. Accordingly, fish gelatin is of particular interest. Wastes of the deep fish processing, which are consisted of about 30 % of skin and bones, are the rich source of gelatin. Fish skin, in turn, contains up to 80-90 % of fibrillar collagen. Production of gelatin from the skin of cold-water fish, which is different in composition from the gelatin of warm sea fish, is a relevant task. The main problem is the fast destruction and hydrolysis of fish collagen during the gelatin extraction due to the unique amino-acid composition and structure of cold-water fish collagen. This leads to a sharp decrease in the molecular weight of gelatin and to the degradation of its physicochemical properties [1]. 

In this work, improved biotechnology of fish gelatin from the skin of Atlantic cod with the usage of proteolytic enzymes was developed. The composition and physicochemical properties of gelatin obtained were studied. The mechanism of enzymatic degradation of collagen during the gelatin extraction was investigated. A new approach was proposed to regulate the strength characteristics of gels based on fish gelatin by using polysaccharides of marine origin. Gelatin-polysaccharide gels were used as a filling for making canned fish. 

The work supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project №19-016-00118).

[1] Derkach S.R., Kuchina Y.A., Baryshnikov A.V., Kolotova D.S., Voron'ko N.G. Tailoring cod gelatin structure and physical properties with acid and alkaline extraction // Polymers. – 2019. – Vol. 11. – № 10. – P. 1724-1741.

Frog farming is an important economic activity in many countries, but production systems do not take full advantage of their by-products. American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) has an annual production of 228 tons and at least 10% of it goes to waste. The unused frogs are surely rich in proteins, oils, minerals, enzymes, flavors, etc. which might be useful for industrial applications. The present study aimed to evaluate the proximal composition and the technological functionality of American Bullfrog as 1) complete frogs, 2) frog legs, and 3) skin. Results showed that the protein content of complete frogs, frog legs, and skin was 47.6%, and 88.4% and 91.1% (d.b.), correspondingly. Fat content resulted in 34.6 %, 3.2%, and 4.2% (d.b.) for these by-products, respectively. Samples showed a greater capacity to retain oil than water (3.0 mL/g and 2.4 mL/g). The highest foaming capacity was found at a pH of 9 in frog legs. At an acidic pH, all samples have emulsifying capabilities, while in neutral and alkaline values only the frog legs and the skin. Emulsion stability was above 90% (g final emulsion/g initial emulsion) for these by-products after thermal treatment of 80 °C for 30 minutes. Altogether these results could state the bases for the implementation of an industrial process that takes advantage of this kind of unused biological materials as food additives or ingredients.

Food processing industry generates a variety of valuable Rest Raw Materials (RRM) that can often go unutilized. Fish offers one of the fastest ways to address malnutrition and food security in the world, but fish RRM are poorly utilized. Huge amounts are discarded or turned into low-value products, while there is a huge potential for their utilization into high value added and nutritional products. To enable a sustainable development of the food system, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were adopted in 2015. Target 12.3 aims to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030 and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains. The EraNet project ReValue aims to contribute to achieving this target by developing innovative concepts for the surimi supply chain. India is one of the main suppliers of fish and surimi products to the world. Surimi supply chain in India is selected as the case study because various whitefish species can be used to make Surimi and generate a wide range of valuable fish RRM. Through interdisciplinary research collaboration between partners from Norway, Spain and India, the project has developed concepts for efficient supply chain logistics and climate friendly refrigeration technologies It has also included extraction and characterisation of value-added protein ingredients from the solid surimi rest raw materials that can be used for food and feed applications. Regulations that govern the use of rest raw materials for food and feed applications both in Europe and India have also been mapped in the project. This presentation will focus on the main results from the project.

CFD tools are gaining more importance for the optimization of processes related with food industry. One of the processes in which this tool is being used is in the optimization of thermal sterilization processes, such as heat treatment of cans. In this type of process, the temperature distribution inside the can can be analysed, ensuring the correct achievement of the treatment and optimising its efficiency. One of the processing units commonly used in food industry to carry out this type of process is the autoclave. This equipment gives the option of different heating programs, and different movement options which have influence in the temperature obtained inside the cans. Recently, the use of innovative can geometries, such us toroidal can, has been also introduced as a way to improve the efficiency of the thermal treatments. In this work, the heating process in cans in an autoclave under different conditions has been analysed using CFD STAR CCM+ (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tools. Water and water-air combination have been used as fluids inside the can. The influence on the process of parameters such as the geometry of the can, the movement or the filling conditions of the can have been analysed. The obtained results have been compared with experimental data. The results show that parameters such us the viscosity, the type and velocity of the movement and the geometry of the can have an important influence on the efficiency of the applied sterilization process. These parameters should be analysed and optimized for each type of food in order to optimize the heating time and the energy consumption of the process.

Acknowledgement: This work was carried out in the framework of the SUSFOOD2 funded InProVe project.

Processed meat products are usually cured, cooked and kept in buffer stores before being cut into smaller pieces and retail packed. Occasionally, re-contamination will occur and shorten retail shelf-life, therefore, it was investigated to which extent in-packed thermal shock (TS) can increase shelf-life of vacuum-packed processed meat. Two meat products (cured and smoked pork loin and Danish pork flank roll) were processed in an industrial plant and sent to DTI for TS treatment and storage. The products were cut into 500-gram samples and vacuum-packed in boilable pouches. Half were placed in an experimental treatment chamber and exposed to TS (130°C for 40 seconds) whereas the other half was left untreated as reference samples. All samples were stored at 5°C for up to 126 days. Sampling (5 replicates) for total plate count, PCA (20 days, 5°C) and sensory analysis was performed 9 times during storage, and 16S rRNA sequencing 3 times. The results showed that TS decreased the initial plate count by approx.1 log cfu/g regardless of the product. At day 29, the average plate count on cured and smoked loin had increased to 8.0 log cfu/g for untreated samples, but to only 1.6 log cfu/g for treated samples. At day 99, untreated samples had 8.3 log cfu/g, whereas treated samples had only1.4 log cfu/g. Furthermore, sensory evaluations showed that the limit for odour acceptance was reached after 57-85 days for untreated samples, whereas treated samples did not reach the limit at any time during the storage period. These results indicate that TS inactivates the psychrotrophic bacteria, able to grow at 5°C, and through that extend the shelf-life by more than 40 days. For Danish pork flank roll, a similar pattern was observed and resulted in more than 40 days’ shelf-life extension.

The interest in valorizarion of agro-industrial by-products is rising, driven largely by climate-change goals set out by EU and the market potential of natural antioxidants used in food and pharmaceutical industries. Salvia officinalis is a medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP), widespread in Mediterranean basin and its derivatives have shown to possess significant antioxidant properties. Sage essential oil production generates high amounts of solid residues. However, this residual biomass still contains a considerable amount of bioactive compounds, endowed with functional properties, and their conversion into value added products has immense importance considering the socio-economic and environmental sustainability benefits. 

Conventional solid-liquid extraction of bioactive compounds from MAPs is widely used and water is the most preferential solvent due to its environmentally-friendly and low cost characteristics. However, water provides a lower extraction yield of antioxidant compounds compared to organic solvents (methanol, ethanol) due to the non-polar character of the bioactive compounds (responsible for antioxidant properties). The relatively low extraction yield could be improved by the use of aqueous solutions of cyclodextrins, due to inclusion complex formations with different polyphenols.

The aim of this work was the development of an efficient and eco-friendly extraction process of bioactive polyphenols from S. officinalis distillate residues by the use of two cyclodextrins, β- and HP-β-CD. Considering concentration and type of CD, extraction time and liquid-solid ratio as the key parameters, the response surface methodology was deployed to optimize the extraction process. The optimum conditions and the polynomial model from the responses data, including total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined. Results will facilitate the production of aqueous extracts rich in phenolic polyphenols with a maximum antioxidant activity.  

The food industry produces vast amounts of protein-rich by-products, susceptible of transformation via enzymatic hydrolysis into smaller peptides with enhanced bio- and techno-functional activity. While contributing to food waste mitigation, such added-value bioactives, acknowledged for their high tissue affinity, specificity and efficacy in health-promotion, represent a niche market for the food/pharmaceutical sectors, with potential applications as functional food ingredients or condition-targeted nutraceuticals.

Non-thermal technologies, such as high pressure (HP) and ultrasound (US), have recently gained significant attention with regards to extraction of bioactive peptides, due to their significant contribution to enhanced stability of food residuals (e.g. control of microbial and enzymatic degradation) and process cost-efficiency (e.g. recovery yield, hydrolysis time, enzyme/substrate ratio). By exposing cleavage sites through biomatrix/protein restructuration, the resulting hydrolysates exhibit enhanced techno-functionality and health-promoting effects, and thus high market value.

In the present study, the potential of HPP and US towards enhanced bioactivity of protein hydrolysates from mechanically deboned chicken carcasses was investigated. Minced samples were processed with HPP (200 MPa; 15 min) and US (68/170 kHz - 900 W, 68/170 kHz - 500 W, 68 kHz - 500 W and 170 kHz - 500 W; 30 min) prior to digestion with an industrially relevant enzyme (1 h, 50 ̊C). Processing conditions were selected upon previous studies, to positively affect the residual structure and composition. The hydrolysis reaction was ended by thermal enzyme inactivation, whereafter the hydrolysates were separated into an aqueous fraction rich in soluble peptides, a fat fraction, and an insoluble sediment fraction. Protein enriched samples were tested for their potential in reducing oxidative stress and increase cell viability. In vitro approaches were implemented, by means of biochemical and cell-based assays. The applied methods demonstrated the potential of innovative technologies towards enhanced bioactivity of protein hydrolysates and thus, its relevance for sustainable utilisation of natural resources.

So far, banana peels are discarded as a by-product during banana processing, even though they account for up to 40 % of the fresh fruit weight. In order to exploit the potential of these remaining residues, banana peels might be used to produce a peel puree. Due to the banana peels’ high dietary fiber content, which consists mainly of celluloses (9.5 %_DM), hemicelluloses (7.5 %_DM), and pectin-like substances (21.5 %_DM), this study aimed to evaluate the influence of several cell wall degrading enzymes and process parameters on the liquefaction of banana peels while maintaining flavor and light color.

Banana peel purees (Musa acuminata (AAA) ‘Cavendish’) were treated with six different enzyme preparations comprising cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, and pectinolytic activities. The influence of single and combined activities on the viscosity reduction and color change of the purees were evaluated. Based on the results of the screening, the enzymatic hydrolysis was then optimized for Rohapect B1L using a face-centered central composite design considering the influence of temperature (30–50 °C), pH (3.5–4.5), and enzyme concentration (1000–5000 ppm).

The application of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes resulted in a viscosity reduction of more than 60 % after 24 h, whereas two of the tested pectinases did not reduce viscosity. A synergistic effect on viscosity degradation could be observed for a 1:1 enzyme mixture of pectinolytic and cellulolytic activities. Minimal relative viscosity was reached by using Rohapect B1L, showing cellulase, pectinase, and mannanase activities. A good trade-off between viscosity reduction and color change could be achieved after 2-h hydrolysis with 1800 ppm Rohapect B1L (30 °C, pH 3.7). Based on the selection of suitable enzymes and adaption of the process parameters, the developed process of enzymatic liquefaction allows for a holistic use of banana peels and points the way for versatile food applications.

During the processing of bananas into purees, large amounts of banana peels are generated as by-products, which are a rich source of dietary fibers and secondary plant metabolites, mainly phenolic compounds. However, banana peels have not been used as food ingredients so far because their fast microbial and enzymatic deterioration is a hindrance to their potential valorization. Therefore, this study aimed to identify suitable drying processes for banana peels to enable the production of valuable food ingredients and, thus, add value to banana processing. 

For this purpose, banana peels (Musa acuminata (AAA) ‘Cavendish’) were dried in a hot air oven under dry or hydrothermal conditions, or in a climate chamber under controlled relative humidity (RH). The impact of the different drying conditions on water-holding capacity (WHC) and oil-binding capacity (OBC), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, browning index (BI), and total phenolic content (TPC) were studied. 

Compositional analysis revealed a total dietary fiber content of 38.3 %_DM for the banana peels along with proteins (6.0 %_DM), starch (1.6 %_DM), and minerals (14.2 %_DM). Increasing the drying temperature during dry hot air treatment from 60 to 120 °C resulted in a 51 % reduction of the WHC, while the OBC was not affected and remained at 1 ml_oil/g_DM. The hydrothermal drying of the banana peels showed no positive effect on functionality. However, a decrease in drying temperature and relative humidity resulted in lower BI, but at the expense of residual polyphenol oxidase activity. Incomplete PPO inactivation might explain differences in the observed TPC, but not in BI. Thus, banana peel powders with high WHC and low browning can be produced and further used as fiber-rich ingredients for bakery products to reduce staling. 

Yoghurt appeals to many consumers due to their high nutritional benefits and convenience. While the physiochemical properties of acid milk gels have been extensively studied, producing yoghurt with optimum firmness and stability remains a challenge. Conventional heat treatment (>80 °C, up to 30 min) can comprise the nutritional and organoleptic properties of the product, also affecting the eco-footprint of the industry. To this end, non-thermal technologies have gained attention e.g. high-pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound (US) and use of carbon dioxide (CO₂), implemented alone or in selected combination as an eco-friendly alternative to heat treatment in dairy processing. 

Reconstituted skim milk was subjected to either heat treatment (85 C° for 20 minutes, followed by inoculation with starter culture) as control or to a sequential process of CO₂-HPP-US (combination technology) as follow: the milk sample was packaged with CO₂ in a sous-vide pouch and immediately subjected to HPP (400 MPa, 15 minutes) prior to inoculation and US treatment (68 kHz, 300 W, 15 minutes). All samples were fermented at 42 °C until pH 4.6 and stored up to 42 days at 4 °C. The change in pH and viscoelastic properties of the sample, and the kinetics of the starter culture were assessed during the fermentation. In addition, colour and native- & SDS-PAGE analyses of the treated milks were performed. The storage stability of the sample was examined at 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 days of storage with the vial count of the starter culture, titratable acidity and whey separation. The results showed that the use of combination technology reduced the fermentation time, while altering the viscoelastic properties of the resulting yoghurt gels, which were attributed to the process-dependent denaturation of the milk proteins. Their storage stability was comparable to that of the control sample. 

In recent years, awareness of environmental sustainability has been growing and the valorisation of by-products containing bioactive compounds represents the focus of numerous studies. The coffee industry produces one of the most consumed drinks in the world and consequently generates huge amounts of by-products such as silverskin. The silverskin is a thin tegument separated from the coffee bean during the roasting process and is rich in bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds, which are mainly responsible for antioxidant activity. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds and their functional properties in silverskin-based biscuits, by in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion, assessing the total polyphenol content (TPC), the radical scavenging activity (RSA) and the a-glucosidase inhibition capacity, as well as the product acceptability evaluated by final consumer. Silverskin obtained from Arabica (AS), Robusta (RS) and decaffeinated (DS) (deriving from the mixture of the two previous coffee varieties) was employed at three concentrations (2%, 4% and 6%; w/w) for the formulation. In the pre-digestive phase, DS samples had a significantly higher TPC and RSA compared to AS and RS ones and their values were positively correlated to the silverskin content while the Arabica variety demonstrated the highest anti-a-glycosidase activity. The in vitro digestion led to a significant increase of TPC, RSA and a-glucosidase inhibition capacity up to twenty times of the pre-digestive phase, due to hydrolytic processes that led to the release of polyphenolic substances from the food matrix. In conclusion, the silverskin has proven to be an interesting source of bioactive substances whose realised from the matrix would increase significantly after in vitro digestion. As confirmed by consumer tests, biscuits with added silverskin from decaffeinated coffee in a concentration of 2% and 4% would be the most interesting from both a technological and commercial point of view.

In the beverage and chemical industry, thermal separation and processes with high flow rates tend to cause unexpected foam formation. This usually results in contamination of the production plant and even a complete production stop. In order to avoid this undesired phenomenon, chemical defoamers are used or the process is controlled down. However, these methods only reduce the possibility of foaming and not the amount of foam itself, since the necessary expertise is usually lacking.

Ultrasound has proven to be an effective method for actively combating foam. As a mechanical wave in the foam, ultrasound generates surface waves in the lamellae, which increase drainage in the foam and thus destabilizes it. In addition, there are frequency-dependent natural resonance effects of the bubbles. However, they have not yet been considered with respect to forced foam decay.

The presented new ultrasonic technology uses modest intensities <5 W/cm² and at frequencies between 80 and 250 kHz, since the foam destruction occurs in the lower part of the foam cover and the critical power densities for the formation of cavitation are not exceeded. In this context, the application height of the ultrasound near the liquid level is crucial, since this ultrasound application is most effective in the early phase of foam formation. Besides a reduced foam height and a changed bubble size distribution, the lamella vibrations were observed with a high-speed camera (Shimadzu, 1 Mfps). This applies to mechanically as well as thermally generated foams (>90 °C), which were especially investigated during the bottling of fruit juices and boiling of beer wort. The contribution concludes with the implementation of the ultrasound application in a control system consisting of a visual foam detection and a neuro-fuzzy controller, which can reduce the foam quantity if necessary without throttling the process.

The transportation sector is the main driver of higher concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. In 2017, approximately 27% of total EU-28 GHG emissions came from this sector. The Norwegian farmed salmon supply chain is a complex global chain. Salmon produced in Norway is consumed across the world making the transportation segment very important. In the supply chain of airfreighted Norwegian salmon products, transportation contributes the most to fuel consumption and GHG emissions. With a growing population and demand for food, the importance of the ocean economy is increasing. The Norwegian Government has the ambition for Norway to be the world's leading seafood nation by increasing salmon production. It is crucial that this expansion is not realised at the cost of the environment. This study aims at providing a holistic picture of the carbon emissions from Norwegian salmon export to consumer markets. Data from Statistics Norway, showing transportation modes and destination countries for Norwegian salmon products, together with a global distance dataset will be used to identify the export routes and distance of production localities to consumer markets. Coupling the findings to life cycle assessment (LCA) method, LCA software/tools (e.g. SimaPro and the environmental calculation tool of the Network for Transport Measures) and life cycle inventory databases (e.g. Ecoinvent), GHG emissions from export of Norwegian salmon products will be estimated for 2018.